


Torn in Two

by zebraljb



Series: Evil Angel [16]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Light BDSM, M/M, Mild torture, Puppy Play, Relationship Revelation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: Eggsy is deliriously happy with Harry and Merlin, but he's starting to get frustrated with the whole keeping it a secret thing. He wants those closest to him to know how happy he is...but he knows it's best to keep quiet.Eggsy brings out the best in both Harry and Merlin...but his failure to show up for dinner one night brings out their absolute worst.
Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad/Merlin/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Series: Evil Angel [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1525892
Comments: 259
Kudos: 265





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelestialAngel2000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialAngel2000/gifts), [Evie_12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evie_12/gifts).



> There will be very mild torture in a chapter or two. Nothing horribly graphic, referred to more than actually seen. Just a warning.

“Don’t forget, Sophie gets that extra feeding in the afternoon,” Eggsy says to Richard. “And Wiley and Foster have been at each other’s throats lately.”

“Ye do realize, Eggsy, that I was at this job long before you were?” Richard asks as he raises an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, but I know you got a lot going on and don’t always pay attention,” Eggsy replies. Richard clears his throat. “Not that you don’t do your job!”

“You’ll be in the shop for a week. I think I can manage the babies for a week. Besides, it’s not like we have many left.” Richard and Eggsy both sigh as they look at the four puppies gamboling about the play yard. A new class of trainees has just picked their puppies and these are the unwanted remnants. Not that they’re truly unwanted; if Eggsy didn’t think Harry and Merlin would kick him out he’d bring each and every one of them home to live with him.

“They go to good homes, right, Richard?” Eggsy asks quietly.

“They do. There’s also a home for orphans out in the country that Kingsman helps support…they usually send a puppy or two out there.”

“Aces,” Eggsy says, cheering up a bit at the thought of the puppies surrounded by a house full of children. “If you need anything you can text me, you know.”

“Christ, Eggsy…it’s nae like you’re going away forever!”

“You’d miss me if I did,” Eggsy says with a grin.

“Are you flirting with me again? I’ve told you and told you, Unwin, you’re not my type.”

“And what is your type?”

“Someone who doesn’t have a miniscule dick.”

“So you’re saying if I have a bigger than miniscule dick, I have a chance with you?” Eggsy asks with a wink.

“Oh, fuck off,” Richard growls. “You need a boyfriend, if you’re resorting to flirting with me. You know it’s a hopeless endeavor.”

“I do,” Eggsy says quietly. More than once he’s wanted to tell Richard the truth about his relationship with Harry and Merlin. Richard is one of his best friends and he’s fairly certain the man would never judge him. But he can’t do anything like that without talking with his lovers first. “So, yeah, gonna be in the shop on Monday.” Eggsy fingers the gold chain at his throat.

“I think you’ll enjoy the peace and quiet. Nothing ever happens there.”

“Dunno about that,” Eggsy says evasively, thinking about the interaction with Dean and his idiots. “But yeah, it will be a change. I’ll miss you.”

“Maybe I’LL enjoy the peace and quiet,” Richard says with a wink, clapping Eggsy on the back.

“Kinda nervous, to be honest,” Eggsy says as he ladles out stew for Merlin and Harry later that evening. “Ain’t been on my own in the shop for ages. And he’s trusting me to do measurements.”

“Andrew has excellent judgment, my boy. If he thinks you’re good enough to man the shop in his absence, it must be true. And it’s not like you haven’t filled in for him regularly.”

“And if ye dinnae feel ye are up to a certain task, ye tell the customer politely that the main tailor is out of the shop, and ye will have Andrew call them upon his return. And if they dinnae like it, they can fuck off.” Merlin smiles grimly.

“I don’t think I can get away with telling a customer to fuck off, Merlin.”

“Not in those exact words, no,” Merlin agrees. “I’m starving. This smells good.”

“Sorry it’s so late…took longer with Richard than I thought it would,” Eggsy says before sliding into his own chair.

“Ye do realize he has been working in that kennel for years,” Merlin points out.

“Yeah, I know. He said the same thing. I just…those dogs are my babies, ya know?” As if on cue JB walks over to collapse onto Eggsy’s feet. “Don’t worry, JB. You are my number one baby.”

“He’s definitely the biggest baby,” Merlin mutters. Eggsy frowns.

“Don’t worry, darling. Merlin is just mad because we were sitting in the living room and when we both called JB, he came to me first.” Harry smiles proudly.

“That’s because ye probably smell like food.”

“I do not,” Harry snaps, looking absolutely scandalized. “I take great care when I ate and do not drop one morsel. There are never food stains on my clothing, unlike YOU. I distinctly recall a large mustard-colored…”

“Fine, Harry. Ye are perfectly perfect in every way,” Merlin says dryly.

“But speaking of stains, Eggsy…” Harry turns to Eggsy, who immediately glances down at his own shirt. “I was looking at your clothes for the shop. Your oxfords are downright embarrassing.”

“Oi, what’s wrong with my shoes?” Eggsy asks, not at all offended that Harry felt the need to look through his wardrobe. He knows Harry has a special kinship with clothing, even if it’s not his own.

“They are horrible scuffed, Eggsy…even the best of shines won’t clean them up. You need to get a new pair this weekend.”

“Wot? Harry, I’m gonna be behind the…”

“Not all the time, you won’t. You will be walking through the showroom area, you will be with a customer in a fitting room. Your shoes are just as much a reflection of Kingsman as anything else.”

“I’m afraid he’s right, lad,” Merlin says around bites of stew.

“Like you care. You can wear whatever you want. He leaves you alone,” Eggsy mutters.

“I’m sorry, lad. Did ye have something ye wished to say to me?” Merlin slowly points to his ear.

“N-no, Master,” Eggsy whispers. “I’m sorry.” Merlin nods and continues eating.

“We will go shopping tomorrow,” Harry says eagerly.

“Great,” Eggsy says sarcastically. Shopping with Harry is one of Eggsy’s least favorite things to do, because it’s always a day-long process.

“Pet,” Merlin says warningly. Eggsy bites his bottom lip. “If ye are a good boy with Harry, I might have a treat for ye when ye get home.”

“Yes, Merlin,” Eggsy says with a grin. There’s a bit of a thrill that runs through his body, starting in his ears and resting somewhere in his groin. “You know, Harry, since I gotta be in to open the shop and all, you should come in with me! We could bring coffee and pastries, chat a bit.”

Merlin bursts out laughing. “I would love to see that. Harry Hart, at the shop before it opens! Ye are many amazing things, lad, but ye are nae a miracle worker.”

“I arrive early,” Harry says defensively. “Have I EVER been late when it counts? Such as for a mission?”

“Agreed,” Merlin says. “It’s not that I actually CARE whether ye arrive on time or not, but it does get quite tiresome when we make arrangements to meet somewhere for dinner and ye are twenty to thirty minutes late.”

“When is the last time you and I made arrangements to meet somewhere for dinner?” Harry points out.

“Fine. We’ll make arrangements to meet somewhere for dinner next week,” Merlin says. “To celebrate Eggsy being on his own at the shop. I dinnae think ye need to go out on a mission until Thursday at the earliest.”

“I’m assuming I get to come along to this celebration, right?” Eggsy asks.

“Nae, lad, we will go paint the town red while ye sit here and eat soup from a can,” Merlin says wryly. Harry snorts. “How about...” Merlin thinks for a moment. “Tuesday. Arthur and I have meetings at MI-6, I can meet ye after.”

“Sounds good to me,” Eggsy says.

“Tuesday. Lovely. I will make reservations at The Rose Garden,” Harry says. Then he frowns. “Oh, bugger it all. I have my yearly psychiatric evaluation on Tuesday at Dr. Graham’s office here in town. It’s at four, so just to be safe I’ll make the reservation for half-five?”

“Fine.” Merlin taps his glasses and uses his eyes to make a note on his calendar.

“Are you pleased with our purchases?” Harry asks Eggsy as the cab drops them off in front of the house.

“Yes, Harry, thank you,” Eggsy says politely. The driver pops the boot and Eggsy jumps out to unload the bags while Harry pays. 

“Let me carry something.”

“No, I’m fine,” Eggsy snaps. Harry looks hurt. “I got it, Harry. It’s a bit of a juggling act. Can you just get the door?”

“Of course.” Harry starts up the pavement. “Hamish said he’d order in for dinner, so there’s no need for you to cook.”

“Great,” Eggsy says wearily.

He was correct in assuming this would be a typical shopping day with Harry. The plan was to get Eggsy new shoes, and they did. But then Harry decided Eggsy needed new trousers, shirts and ties to go along with the new shoes. And that meant new underclothes, so that was an entirely different store. Eggsy ended up spending most of the morning and into the afternoon trying on clothes and parading around in posh shops while Harry sat and drank tea and gave a running commentary.

“No, not that. The color is all wrong.”

“Turn around, my boy, let me see it from the back. Maybe I’ll like it better…no, I do not.”

“Excellent, just excellent. It frames your waist quite nicely.”

The worst part wasn’t the fact that he felt like a performing monkey as he strutted to and fro in the shops. He’d done that with Harry before. It was the fact that everyone at these shops more than likely thought that Eggsy was Harry’s son. He couldn’t hold Harry’s hand, or stand too close, or say anything that could be misconstrued. Harry was a frequent customer in these shops, and most of the sales clerks knew he was married to someone other than Eggsy.

Eggsy doesn’t want to do anything crazy, doesn’t want to get a tattoo that says, “I’m the filling in a fit older gent sandwich” or anything like that. He just wishes he could find a place where it absolutely didn’t matter, whether it be Percival’s flat or Roxy’s flat or Richard’s flat or even his mother’s flat. He wants a place where he can tell the truth: he is in love with the greatest men in the world.

This pressure, this wistful dreaming, weighs on him just as heavily as the fatigue of the day. He doesn’t normally allow himself to wallow in it, but today has just been one of those days. “I see we had a successful outing,” Merlin says as he greets them at the door. “Can I help ye?”

“No, I got it,” Eggsy grumbles, turning sideways to make it through the entryway. 

“Did something happen?”

“No, just like always. Harry threw money around, people kissed our arses, and someone asked him if it was his son’s birthday. I’ll take these up after we eat.” Eggsy starts lining the bags up at the bottom of the steps. “Harry said something about takeaway? I’m fucking starving…we didn’t stop for lunch.” He glares at Harry accusingly. “Only had these tiny cakes at the one shop.”

“They were good cakes,” Harry says.

“Nae, lad, ye will not be leaving all this here for us to fall over,” Merlin says sternly. “Take it up and put it away.”

“I said I’ll take it up later.”

“And I said take it up now.” Merlin’s face is unreadable.

“Yes, Merlin.” Eggsy does his best not to stomp up the stairs.

Maybe he should just stay in his room. He’s really not in a place to socialize. He has his gold chain, he has his tattoo, that should be enough. He starts to drop the bags on the bed but stops as he realizes there’s already something on it. A small box. He carefully sets the bags on the floor. Eggsy undoes the ribbon around the box and slowly opens it. He gasps as he sees a slender black leather collar, beautifully tooled with butterflies and the occasional diamond. And they’re real diamonds, he can tell. At the front of the collar is a silver tag, also shaped like a butterfly, which simply says ‘Pet’ in elegant script. 

It’s not the first time that Eggsy has wondered if Merlin can actually read his mind…because right now dropping everything and becoming a puppy sounds like exactly what he needs.

“How was your day?” Merlin asks.

“Quite successful,” Harry says cheerfully, mixing himself a drink. “We got some good bargains on excellent clothing, and Eggsy will look gorgeous as usual.”

“Did ye ever think, Harry, that perhaps the boy doesn’t enjoy shopping as much as you do?”

“Who doesn’t like new clothes, especially when someone else is buying them?”

“Harry,” Merlin says quietly. “Do ye remember the last time ye tried to take me shopping all day?”

“Yes. It was the ONLY time. You set off a tiny explosive device in one of the fitting rooms, if memory serves,” Harry replies with a scowl.

“Aye. Ye were trying to be nice, ye wanted me to enjoy nice things as much as you do, and it didn’t work out.” Merlin waits for Harry to catch up. While Merlin likes the fact that Eggsy is now taking his place and making Harry happy with his shopping excursions, he is unwilling to put up with the strop at the front door.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve gone shopping. He’s always enjoyed it.” Harry swirls his glass and sips at it.

“Has he? Or has he put up with it because YOU enjoy it? Eggsy is no fashion plate. I realize that handsome young men from his neck of the woods would probably enjoy having someone else fill their wardrobes…but he’s not one of them.”

“This household is much better about communication…if he was so upset he could have said something,” Harry retorts.

“And ruin your plans for today, plans you were so excited about?” Merlin snorts.

Harry opens his mouth, shuts it, and turns away from Merlin as he sips at his drink. Merlin looks up as Eggsy crawls into the room wearing his puppy ears, his tail, and the new collar. He makes his way across the floor and gently butts his head against Merlin’s legs. Merlin’s a bit surprised; he’d expected Eggsy to be pleased with the gift but not wear it now. He glances at his husband, who looks slightly uncomfortable. They both are fully aware that Eggsy only decides to be a puppy when he needs the release.

“Well, aren’t ye a beautiful pup?” Merlin says softly, reaching down to scratch Eggsy’s head. “Do ye like your new collar, then?” Eggsy licks Merlin’s fingers. “Such a good boy.”

“He is,” Harry says softly. Eggsy tilts his head, looks at him, and crawls over to nudge at his hand. Harry gently pets him. 

“Why don’t ye play with the puppy, Harry, while I go call for dinner?” Merlin suggests. He knows Eggsy needs attention, and it will probably feel best coming from Harry.

“I can think of nothing I’d like to do more,” Harry says, going to Eggsy’s toy basket and finding his ball. “Our puppy has definitely earned some play time.” Eggsy yips and wags his tail.

“I figured Chinese,” Merlin says. “I’ll order the usual.”

“Sounds good.” Harry sits on the sofa and Eggsy eagerly waits at his feet. Merlin chuckles and shakes his head as he goes into the kitchen for the takeaway menu. He can hear Eggsy scampering about in the living room and sighs. Merlin calls in their order before bending down to unlock the crate of their actual dog. He’d been working in his office until just before their return from the shopping excursion, leaving JB to chew on a new toy in his crate. “Come along, Mr. Bauer. Time to water the garden.” He opens the back door and JB scurries outside. Once he’s done his business Merlin fills his water dish and puts out food for him, which he destroys in record time. Belly full and face covered in water, JB trots back into his crate and Merlin closes it once more. The little dog gets overexcited when Eggsy is playing as a puppy, and they’ve found it best to keep him out of the room.

Merlin strides down the hall to the living room, realizing along the way that there are no more sounds of puppy play. His eyebrows go up when he enters the room and sees Eggsy between Harry’s legs, the front of Harry’s trousers open and splayed to each side. “Well well.”

“He asked ever so nicely,” Harry says, groaning and running a hand through Eggsy’s hair. “Such a…Christ, good puppy.” Eggsy lets Harry’s cock out of his mouth with a happy slurp. He tilts his head and looks at Merlin.

“Don’t let me stop ye, pet,” Merlin tells him, and Eggsy happily goes back to work. The diamonds twinkle against the black leather, and Eggsy’s delectable arse wiggles back and forth a bit. “Ye are a temptation, pup.” Merlin’s cock starts to show a great deal of interest in the proceedings.

“You don’t have to just watch,” Harry says, moaning and letting his head fall back. He hisses and arches off the sofa a bit.

Merlin ponders this for a moment. While they’ve had a bit of fun with Eggsy while he’s a puppy, they’ve never used him together in quite this manner. Merlin squats down and pulls Eggsy back by the hair. “Tell me, pup, would ye be interested in that?” Eggsy whimpers and wriggles. “Nae, lad, in something like this we need your words.”

“Can do anything you want,” Eggsy says, panting for breath. “Trust you two with my life.”

“All right, then. Back to work.” Merlin guides Eggsy’s mouth back onto Harry’s cock before getting back on his feet and heading for the tiny cabinet in the corner. He gets out lube and wipes before returning to his men. Harry’s forehead is wet with sweat, and Merlin can see Eggsy’s rock hard cock hanging between his legs. “Gorgeous. I dinnae deserve such a thing.”

“No, you don’t,” Harry agrees as Merlin kneels behind Eggsy. Eggsy growls around Harry’s cock and Merlin gives his arse a smack.

“Nae, pup, ye are not involved in this conversation.” Merlin nudges Eggsy’s legs apart with his knees and undoes his own trousers. He shoves the trousers and his pants down as far as he can before taking hold of Eggsy’s tail at the base of the plug. He takes his time working it out, occasionally pushing it back in and twisting it a bit before sliding it out. Eggsy is whining by the time Merlin finally works the plug free and carefully sets it aside. Only then does he add additional lube to his cock and line himself up. “Absolutely perfect,” Merlin whispers. “Such a good boy for us. Don’t we have a good boy, Harry?” Merlin inches his cock into Eggsy’s welcoming body. Eggsy pulls away from Harry and gasps for breath.

“We do. The best boy ever,” Harry murmurs, running a thumb along Eggsy’s swollen lips. Eggsy nibbles at the tip of Harry’s fingers before moving back to Harry’s cock. 

“We will nae be making you come, pup,” Merlin says, grabbing Eggsy’s hips so he can thrust harder. “I dinnae appreciate the attitude ye brought with ye when ye walked in the door. But if ye wish to take care of yourself upstairs when we’re through, we will nae stop ye.” Merlin barely gets the sentence out. Eggsy is so tight, and Merlin loves watching Harry’s face as he gets closer to orgasm. “In fact, I like imagining ye doing it…perhaps in the shower, water all over this beautiful body of yours.”

“Hamish…fuck…” Harry arches up and holds Eggsy’s body in place as he shudders. Eggsy chokes a bit but doesn’t pull away, and the sight of Harry’s cock cutting off Eggsy’s oxygen is enough to make Merlin collapse onto Eggsy’s back, cock spurting inside of him. 

Harry releases his hold on Eggsy and the boy lays his cheek on Harry’s thigh. “Fuck,” he whispers weakly.

“Aye,” Merlin pants. He removes the dog ears from Eggsy’s head, and slowly pulls out of his body. He quickly cleans Eggsy as best he can, and then hands Harry a wipe as well. 

Eggsy slowly rolls onto his back on the floor. “I’m sorry about the attitude,” he mumbles with an arm thrown over his face. “Deserve this little bit of punishment for sure. I was “just tired, and irritated that people keep thinking Harry’s my dad. Not because you won’t be an amazing dad, Harry, it’s just…” Eggsy sighs. 

Merlin tucks himself back into his pants and trousers and sits on the floor next to Eggsy. “Ye wish ye didn’t have to pretend,” he says softly. Eggsy shrugs and nods.

“I know that around here, where people know you’re husbands, we can’t say nothing. Just wish we could go somewhere we COULD say something. Or at least tell…people.”

“I’m sorry, Eggsy,” Harry says quietly. “This is why we’ve always said that when you were ready for a more monogamous relationship, we would understand.”

“I’m in a monogamous relationship,” Eggsy says stubbornly. “It’s just with two people.”

Harry and Merlin look at each other and grin. “I’m sorry I ran you ragged today, my boy. I love spoiling you, and I suppose I got carried away.”

Eggsy slowly sits up. “it’s all right. Wasn’t THAT bad. I mean, I know you like doing it, and I trust your judgment. I just was hungry and then let myself get into a bad place.” He stands and kisses the top of Harry’s head. “Thanks for everything today, Harry.”

“You are quite welcome, darling.” As if on cue the doorbell rings. “That would be our dinner.”

“Would ye like to answer the door, pet?” Merlin asks with a wink.

“Nah…not quite ready to be THAT open about our relationship.” Eggsy picks up the tail plug and hurries up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

“Well, don’t you look handsome.”

Eggsy turns from where he’s packing his lunch. “Morning, Harry. What are you doing up?”

“Well, my bladder highly suggested I get out of bed, and then I heard noise down here and realized I might catch you before you left.” Harry comes over to kiss him, looking quite fetching in his red dressing gown and slippers, hair every which way. “I can give you a good luck kiss.” Kiss. “A you look absolutely gorgeous kiss.” Kiss. “A goodbye kiss.”

“Well, keep kissing me like that and I’m gonna be late,” Eggsy says, dreamily smiling up at him. “And one of us should try to be on time.”

“The two of you make it sound like I’m late all the time.” Harry frowns and tightens the belt of his gown before leaning against the counter. Eggsy simply raises an eyebrow and starts putting things into his insulated lunch bag. “It’s not all the time!” Harry insists.

“As you say, Harry.”

“My husband is a horrible influence on you.” Harry straightens Eggsy’s tie and kisses his forehead. “In all seriousness, darling, have a wonderful day. Just relax…you know how to do your job. And you look so attractive, head to toe.” Harry steps back to look him over. “Perfect.”

“Yeah yeah, we all know you got great taste, Harry.” Eggsy picks up his lunch bag and travel mug of tea.

“It has nothing to do with my taste…well, perhaps some of it,” Harry amends. “But more importantly, it has everything to do with the young man wearing my purchases.” He gives Eggsy a gentle kiss. “Have a good day, darling. I cannot wait to hear all about it.”

“I’ll see you when you come through to the train, right?” Eggsy asks hopefully.

“Probably, but if you’re busy I won’t interrupt you.”

“Aw, c’mon…think a customer could wait if you wanted to snog me while the lift comes up,” Eggsy says with a wink.

“Hardly,” Harry says sternly. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Harry.” Eggsy steals one last kiss and heads for the door. “Love you!”

“I fucking hate you so much, Harry,” Eggsy quietly growls to his sandwich as he sits down in a corner of the shop to inhale his lunch. The day’s gone fairly well; a few scheduled appointments as well as two men who came in to discuss wedding suits. Eggsy enthusiastically gave his congratulations and did the best he could for them. Thankfully they were willing to wait until the following week to speak with Andrew. There’s NO way he’s going to try to organize something as important as wedding suits.

The only thing that hasn’t gone well are the bloody new shoes. They’re the right size, Eggsy knows they are, but he hadn’t bothered to break them in around the house and now they’re pinching everywhere they shouldn’t pinch and rubbing everywhere they should fit tightly. He can pinpoint the exact location of two blisters on each foot.

He’s managed not to growl at any of the customers at least, and although he wants nothing more than to slip the shoes off while he eat he knows it isn’t a good idea. So he sits and whines to himself as he moodily munches on a ham and cheese on the multi-grain bread Merlin adores.

As if Eggsy’s summoned him by eating his bread Merlin suddenly appears from the fitting room. “Afternoon, lad.”

“Hi,” Eggsy says morosely. 

“Everything all right?”

Eggsy knows this is the one person he can’t strop to. “Yeah, just more tired than I expected. Not used to being on my feet like this,” Eggsy tells him. “Figured it would be okay if I sat down to eat…ain’t like I can go in the back or nothing.”

“Aye, no one would fault ye for this. Ye have done a very good job so far today.”

“Merlin,” Eggsy says with a sly grin. “You been checking in on me?”

“I review all Kingsman video footage throughout the day,” Merlin says stiffly. “It just so happens that I look in on the shop Monday mornings.”

“Okay,” Eggsy says, his grin spreading across his face. 

“Oh, shut up,” Merlin snaps. “I was just stretching my legs, thought I would stop in and say hello since I left before ye were up.”

“Thank you for watching out for me, Merlin,” Eggsy says softly. He knows that between Dean’s attack that day and Merlin’s own possessive personality, he has a hidden concern for Eggsy and his well-being when they’re not together. “Feels good knowing you got my back.”

“I always will, lad,” Merlin says quietly. They look at each other for a long moment. Obviously a kiss is impossible.

“See you later, then?”

“Aye.”

“I got a roast in the slow cooker…gonna smell amazing when we get home,” Eggsy promises.

“I cannot wait. Have a good afternoon.” Merlin reaches out and gently touches Eggsy’s shoulder before returning to the fitting room and the lift.

Eggsy finishes his lunch, groans, and gets back onto his feet as the bell tinkles above the door. “Good afternoon, sir, ma’am. Welcome to Kingsman.”

Harry and Merlin make a point of arriving home before Eggsy so they can greet him at the door. They realize that at one time working in the tailor shop was his actual job, but he never had to do it alone for more than an hour or two, and they’re proud of how hard he’s working to do the job well. Harry, of course, thinks Eggsy can do just about anything, and Merlin is willing to grudgingly admit that their boy is intelligent…although he doesn’t always use common sense.

They linger in the kitchen inhaling the excellent aroma of Eggsy’s dinner until they hear the lock turn in the front door. “It’s not his first day of school, will ye calm down, Harry?” Merlin snaps, although Harry notices him giving furtive glances toward the front of the house.

“I’m perfectly calm, as always,” Harry says, gracefully taking a seat at the kitchen table and flipping through one of Eggsy’s cookbooks.

“Yes…you looking at recipes. Completely natural,” Merlin snorts.

“If I didn’t worry about who’d get custody of Eggsy, I’d divorce you,” Harry says with a glare.

“Hey,” Eggsy says with a tired smile, padding into the kitchen in his stocking feet.

“Where are your shoes?” Harry says immediately. “Did you get a scuff on them simply going to and from the shop?”

“No, Harry,” Eggsy says patiently. “Left them at the door. Don’t want nothing to happen to them.”

“That’s my good boy,” Harry says approvingly. “How was your day?”

“Good. Did inventory, sold a few ties, rang up orders…talked to an engaged couple, real sweet blokes. Didn’t take their order or nothing, but we had a nice chat about colors and fabrics and all.” Eggsy sighs happily. “It was real nice to see how in love they were. I mean, you two are in love…in your own way…but I know back when you got married it wasn’t like now. You couldn’t just go to a tailor and ask for wedding suits. It was just…nice,” he finishes almost wistfully.

“Darling,” Harry begins immediately.

“Nah, I’m fine. Don’t start getting your knickers in a twist.” Eggsy checks his slow cooker. “Think we’re about good, gonna turn this off. Bread’s in the cupboard, Merlin, could you cut it? You do it best.”

“Aye, lad, not a problem.” Merlin heads for the cutting board and Eggsy goes upstairs to change.

Dinner is a fairly quiet affair, Merlin discussing the basics of his meeting with MI-6 the next day (just the basics, of course, Eggsy is not cleared to know much more), Eggsy telling them more about the sweet engaged couple (apparently every time they said the word ‘wedding,’ they’d look at each other with dreamy smiles on their faces), and Harry grumbling about his appointment with the Kingsman psychiatrist.

“Does every agent need to see the psychiatrist?” Eggsy asks as he stacks bowls and plates and brings them to the sink.

“Yes. It is a fairly new requirement…one that almost every agent complains about,” Merlin says, giving Harry a stern look.

“Well, I believe I know when I need to speak to someone about my mental health,” Harry says in his own defense.

Merlin and Eggsy snort as one. Harry manages to give them both the same evil glare and Eggsy quickly goes back to his dish soap and sink. “Chester never would have come up with this idea on his own. One of the medical staff suggested it to me, I polled the agents and a few other people for their opinions, and came to Arthur about it. It is a requirement that they go once a year for evaluations, and if anyone in Medical or one of the handlers feel the agent might need to speak to someone after a difficult mission, paperwork can be submitted.”

“Sometimes I wonder my Mum shoulda talked to a therapist or sommat,” Eggsy says as he scrubs. Harry meets Merlin’s gaze. They’ve had discussions on this very topic more than once, worrying about how Michelle might be treating Daisy, or if there are any residual effects from the years of abuse. “Think it might do her good, because I think she gets lonely. Plus I know she feels guilty…sometimes,” he mutters quietly.

Harry looks at Merlin again. “Well, I for one know I am perfectly sane,” he says, trying to lighten the mood.

“No you ain’t,” Eggsy says with a laugh, looking back over his shoulder. “You married Merlin. You think sparring is a romantic way to spend an evening. You go looking to bloody people up.”

“I fail to see the insanity in all of that,” Merlin says with a straight face.

“I love you both so fucking much,” Eggsy says, bursting into laughter.

A few hours later Eggsy pleads exhaustion and cites a need to have a bed to himself, kissing them both before heading to the guest bedroom. Harry and Merlin take care of things in the en suite before climbing into their large bed. “I was thinking,” Harry begins. He’s had this on his mind since the shopping excursion with Eggsy. 

“Thought I smelled smoke,” Merlin mutters as he rolls over with his back to Harry.

Harry spoons up behind him and bites his shoulder. “I think…I wonder…that is…”

“Oh, spit it out, Harry, I’m tired.”

“I was wondering what you thought about…well…about me speaking to Dr. Graham about Eggsy.”

Merlin rolls onto his back, bald head gleaming ever so slightly in the moonlight streaming through the window. “What do you mean?”

Harry sighs. “I know you joke, and I complain, but I do try to use the sessions with Dr. Graham to their full potential. I have been completely and brutally honest since day one. And I mean about everything. About the way I love violence. About the way I love that I can share that side with you. But I have managed to omit discussing any of my feelings about Eggsy other than mentioning that he is a fine young man who rents a room and does housework for us.”

“And you feel it’s important…that it impacts the benefits you receive from the session?” Merlin asks seriously. He’s not being snarky or sarcastic, Harry can tell.

“I do. Because I worry more and more when I go into the field. I worry that perhaps I will be seriously injured…or not even come back…and I’m concerned about how he’ll handle it.” Harry lays his head on Merlin’s shoulder. “I know you would suffer, but you are so strong. I think you will manage. And he’d have you, of course, but it might shatter him. He says he understands the perils of my job, but there’s no way he can really prepare himself.” Harry sighs. “I find myself thinking about it more and more. It doesn’t affect my choices in the field, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it.”

“Dr. Graham is obviously going to keep everything confidential,” Merlin says thoughtfully. “I dinnae think it is a bad idea for you to tell him.”

“All right then.” Harry sighs, a weight seeming to fall from his shoulders. “I love you, Hamish. You understand me.”

“I don’t know if I understand ye, but I will always listen, and always love ye.” Merlin kisses Harry’s forehead. “Now shut up so I can go to sleep, for God’s sake.”

"Yes, Merlin.” Harry buries his face in Merlin’s back as he rolls over.


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin’s never said exactly WHY he likes going into HQ so early, but Eggsy thinks it’s probably so he can A, enjoy an uninterrupted cup of tea, and B, get a few things done knowing that it is unlikely someone will bother him. Eggsy originally tried to get up earlier so he could prepare breakfast, as he did when he first moved in, but Merlin eventually told him to get the extra sleep and not worry about his breakfast. “I’m fully capable of feeding myself in the morning, lad,” Merlin had said sternly.

Eggsy now knows that Merlin treats himself to a pastry from the bakery near the shop and just doesn’t want anyone to find it. But Eggsy knows. He thinks it’s cute…loves the idea of badass Merlin going into an adorable little bakery and ordering a scone or turnover.

Eggsy inhales his own breakfast and packs a light lunch; he wants to be hungry for dinner. The Rose Garden is one of their favorite restaurants, and he’s been craving their seafood chowder and broiled scallops something fierce. He’s looking forward to date night; they don’t do it often but when they do it’s always a good time. Even if they can’t show affection for him in public, Harry insists on ordering for him and Merlin usually ends up with his foot pressed against Eggsy’s under the table.

Eggsy tiptoes back upstairs to finish getting ready. He opens the door of the master bedroom and peeks in, smiling as he sees Harry with his arms wrapped around Merlin’s pillow. He gets dressed and goes for his shoes, scowling as he looks at the miserable new oxfords. There is no way he’s going to torture himself by putting the shoes on now and keeping them on throughout the day AND during dinner. He finds a paper sack, puts the oxfords in it, and tugs on his favorite trainers. He’ll change into the oxfords when he gets there, and then put the trainers back on for dinner. Harry will probably have a fairly large aneurysm when he sees it, but Harry can just deal with it.

“Do you have everything?” Chester barks by way of a greeting after entering Merlin’s office with the briefest of knocks.

“I was just preparing my briefcase,” Merlin says, glaring at its contents so he doesn’t glare directly at his boss. He knows exactly why he’s accompanying Chester to this particular meeting, and as usual, it annoys the hell out of him. Chester is bringing Merlin so Chester can look intelligent. If someone asks Chester a question he cannot answer (which, if Merlin is being honest, is pretty much ALL the questions) he can turn to Merlin and wait for him to explain. 

“I appreciate you coming along, Merlin,” Chester mumbles to Merlin’s surprise. He so rarely expresses gratitude. “I know you’re quite busy.”

“Aye, but when it comes to important matters such as this, I am always at your disposal,” Merlin says honestly. He might not be loyal to Chester as a person, but he is extremely loyal to the title of Arthur and Kingsman as a whole. He snaps the briefcase closed. “I’m ready.”

“Excellent. I have a car waiting for us outside the shop.”

Thankfully Chester does not expect Merlin to make small talk. He’s not good at it to begin with, plus he really has no interest in Chester or his life. At one time the man was someone who had the best interest of Kingsman at heart, but now the only interests he cares about are his own. “Is there anything specific I should be aware of?” Merlin asks as the train slows down below the shop. “Special agenda items or the like?”

“I don’t think so.” Chester thinks for a moment. “Something about an agreement regarding the funding of a joint armory?”

Merlin grits his teeth. This sounds like a very important agenda item. “Could ye elaborate?” 

“Well…I believe that they would like us to work together to create a joint armory, but not just with the weapons themselves. A sharing of ideas?”

“Not bloody likely,” Merlin growls. There is absolutely no way he’s giving the buffoons at MI-6 access to any of his tech or the plans behind anything new. 

“Certainly it wouldn’t hurt for us to enter a discussion about it, Merlin,” Chester says as they enter the lift.

“They can discuss it all they want. It’s a horrible idea,” Merlin informs him. “There’s a reason we’re separate from MI-6, Arthur. If we combine forces like this, they’ll have the right to dictate how we use our own technology.”

“I’m sure they don’t,” Chester says, not sounding sure at all.

Merlin snorts and leans against the wall of the lift, pulling his mobile out and shooting a quick text to Harry. _If this day ends in homicide, please tell me you’ll visit me in prison._

_I will put my hand to the glass in the visiting room and cry delicately into my handkerchief, like any spouse whose husband is behind bars._

_Peacock,_ Merlin replies back, unable to keep a small grin from his face.

As they enter the fitting room Merlin notices the tiny green light above the door, placed there to inform them if there are customers in the shop. Merlin schools his features into something impassive. Of all people, Chester cannot know there is anything between Eggsy and himself. Chester opens the door into the shop and Eggsy looks up from a stack of shirts in surprise. “Oh! Good morning, Arthur, sir. Good morning, Merlin.”

“Morning,” Chester mutters. Merlin gives his back an evil look. He knows Chester probably doesn’t even remember Eggsy’s name, and he only replied to Eggsy’s greeting because of the manners drilled into him at birth. 

“Good morning, Eggsy,” Merlin says politely. “How are things here in the shop?”

“Quiet morning so far, sir. A few appointments before lunch, and booked straight through to close.”

“Excellent.” Merlin frowns as Chester strides out of the shop without another word. “Well, have a good day.”

“You too,” Eggsy says. He adds quietly, “And try not to kill anyone.”

“I make no promises, lad,” Merlin adds. Eggsy grins and gives him a wink. Merlin sighs, rolls his eyes, and follows Chester out of the shop.

“Good morning, Galahad, how are you?” The man jumps up from behind his desk. “I’m sorry, did I miss something on the calendar? I didn’t see your name when I was setting things up this morning.”

“Good morning, Edward. I’m quite well, thank you for asking,” Harry says to the weaponsmaster. “No, you’re correct, I hadn’t signed up for time on the range. I was wondering if would be too much trouble for you to fit me in.”

“No, sir, of course not. I don’t have any classes today, so the range is yours.”

“Excellent,” Harry says grimly. He needs to work off some steam and unfortunately Merlin is not available to spar with him.

He signs in, picks up the appropriate protective gear, and follows Edward out to Harry’s favorite part of the range. “As you know, simply press this button if you need anything,” Edward tells him. 

“Thank you, Edward.”

As Harry puts on his goggles and adjusts the earmuffs over his head, he thinks about the reason behind his general state of irritation. He knows it all boils down to his appointment with the psychiatrist later that day. Dr. Graham is a good man, a kind and intelligent person who doesn’t use his job to probe and pry at the agent’s mind. Instead he offers himself as a tool, whatever tool the agent might need. If the agent is feeling lost or anxious, Dr. Graham finds a way to help unravel the problem. If the agent is overcome with guilt, Dr. Graham listens and validates the agent’s feelings. If the agent has been traumatized by whatever happened in the field, Dr. Graham works with them, and with medical, to figure out the best course of action.

Harry likes Dr. Graham. More importantly he TRUSTS Dr. Graham. He’s talked to him about so many things, including his relationship with Merlin. Harry’s not an idiot; he knows that their marriage is unique to say the least. But as Dr. Graham has pointed out more than once, it doesn’t matter how unique it is…it’s what they need, what makes them happy, and that’s all that matters. Dr. Graham spent one session doing nothing but talking about Merlin and asking Harry how he might get along if Harry didn’t return from a mission. He’d come to the conclusion that while Merlin would definitely be emotionally crushed he’d have no problems going on without Harry. Harry knows that Dr. Graham was trying to figure out if Harry’s concern for Merlin’s well being would ever cause issues on a mission. That answer is a resounding no.

Harry reloads his gun, aims, and fires. This is why he needs to speak with Dr. Graham about Eggsy. Harry has absolutely no shame in discussing the fact that he is now involved in a polyamorous relationship, although it is now completely closed off to include only the three of them. He knows that what they have with Eggsy goes far beyond simple adventures in the bedroom – or living room, or kitchen – and he feels no need to justify it. But if Dr. Graham were to interrogate him about Eggsy the way he had about Merlin, Harry knows the discussion would be completely different. He’d made a big fuss about going to the psychiatrist, but truth be told he thinks it’s probably the best thing for him right now. He’d discussed it with Merlin, of course, but he hadn’t been completely honest as to how much it’s been on his mind. If he, Harry, was to disappear on a mission, or get seriously injured…or even worse…how would Eggsy handle it? He’s been through so much in his short life, and he’d have Merlin there to catch him, but even though Merlin’s gotten better with emotions and the like, he’s not exactly a soft place to land.

Harry puts down the gun, takes off his glasses, and rubs at his forehead. Hopefully Dr. Graham can help him work through it all. Kingsman deserves his best, and Harry wants to BE his best.

Eggsy happily turns off the light in the shop at four on the dot and begins to shut things down for the night. He’d been busier than even he thought possible that day, and the hours had absolutely flown by. He barely had time to say hello to Harry when he came through on his way to his doctor’s appointment. He quickly locks up the paperwork, sweeps the room and tidies up some of the displays. It’s almost half-four by the time he goes into the back room and sits down to remove his shoes.

“Bloody hell, that feels AMAZING,” Eggsy groans to no one as he massages his feet and wiggles his toes. He slides into his trainers with a sigh of relief and places his oxfords in the bag. He places the bag on a shelf; no need to bring it along just to have Harry bully him into putting them back on again. He’ll wear the trainers the next day and change into his shoes again and Harry will be none the wiser.

Eggsy whistles as he does a last visual sweep of the shop before going out and locking the door behind him. He continues to whistle as he puts the keys in his pocket and looks for a cab. He’ll be the first one at the restaurant but that’s fine. He can relax and have a Jack and Coke until they arrive.

“Good evening, sir. How may I help you?” The maitre’d asks Merlin.

“Good evening. I’m meeting someone…they should already be here. A reservation under the name of Hart?”

“Yes, sir…I see the reservation, for three?” Merlin nods. “I’m afraid no one has arrived yet, but I can take you to the table.”

Merlin checks his watch. Ten minutes past five. Eggsy should have been here by now. Perhaps there was a late customer at the shop. “If ye could, that would be lovely.”

Merlin follows the man to the table and waits for a waiter to take his drink order before texting both Harry and Eggsy to let them know he’s arrived. He sips at his drink and peruses the menu; although the restaurant is a favorite it’s been a while since they’ve eaten there. He looks up when the maître’d approaches the table with Harry in tow. Harry looks surprised. “Thank you,” he says to the maitre’d. “Eggsy’s not here yet?”

“Obviously,” Merlin says in annoyance. “I thought he might have been waiting for ye out front.”

“No, I didn’t see him. I should text him.” Harry reaches into his jacket pocket.

“I texted him when I texted you,” Merlin says crossly. 

“It’s not like him to be late like this and not tell us,” Harry observes. “Could you check the feed in the shop?”

“I’m not going to check the feed in the shop. I’m sure he had a late customer, or something that needed tending to.”

“But he normally lets us know…”

“Look at your menu and be quiet,” Merlin snaps.

“Very well.” But Harry’s brow continues to furrow in concern as he opens the menu. “Do you think we should order for him? You know he’ll want the soup and the scallops.”

“We’ll give him some time,” Merlin says. He waits for Harry to get engrossed in his menu before pulling out his phone. _Lad, we are waiting. Do you want us to order for you?_

By 5:50 they still haven’t heard from Eggsy and the waiter is looking frustrated. “Let’s order,” Harry says finally. “I’m sure he’ll be here shortly.” He waves the waiter over and they give their orders, including the chowder and scallops for Eggsy. “I’m going to text him,” Harry says stubbornly, finding his mobile in his pocket.

“Fine, but ye are being ridiculous.” Merlin keeps a straight face but in reality he’s becoming angry. Eggsy knows enough about manners to inform them when he’s going to be this late. It’s rare that someone wanders into the shop within five minutes of closing and then stays for this long. 

The soup arrives and sits untouched at Eggsy’s chair. Harry makes it all of ten minutes before saying, “Do you think something might have happened with Michelle or Daisy? If it’s something serious he might not have had the time to let us know.”

“She does seem to think it’s his job to solve all her problems,” Merlin admits, although she’s gotten a lot better about calling Eggsy every time there’s any sort of domestic drama. 

“I will call her,” Harry decides. He finds her number in his mobile and puts it to his ear. “Hello, Michelle? This is Harry Hart, Eggsy’s…landlord?” Harry winces. “Yes, well, we made plans to go out for dinner this evening and I’m afraid he’s a bit late. I was wondering if he had stopped by, or if he perhaps volunteered to run a last minute errand for you?” Harry waits for a response, playing with his fork on the tablecloth. “I see. All right then. I appreciate your time, thank you. Our best to Daisy.” He terminates the call. “She hasn’t heard from him since yesterday morning.”

Merlin huffs out a sigh. “This is completely out of line. Not only are we sitting here waiting for him, but good food is going to waste.” He motions to the soup.

“We can always have them pack it up,” Harry points out. “Just…check the feed. Please?”

“Fine,” Merlin grumbles. He pulls out his mobile once more and logs into the Kingsman security cameras. He brings up the feed in the shop at four and scrolls through it. Eggsy does the daily cleaning, locks up all the important items, and disappears into the back room. When he comes back through the shop and goes out the door Merlin checks the time. 4:35.

“So he did leave on time, more or less,” Harry says. 

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Merlin snaps. “Ridiculous. A grown man who can’t be bothered to…”

“We don’t know that,” Harry says quickly. “Perhaps something happened. Or perhaps he…”

“Or perhaps he needs to be taught a lesson in manners,” Merlin interrupts. 

The waiter arrives with their food but Harry stops him before a plate hits the table. “I’m terribly sorry,” he begins. “An unfortunate circumstance has arisen, and we must leave. Could you possibly pack all this up to take with us?”

“Of course, sir,” the waiter says smoothly.

He soon returns with everything packed in paper sacks. Harry signs the check and they head out, flagging down a cab as soon as possible. “He’d better have one hell of an explanation,” Merlin seethes. 

“I’m sure he does,” Harry says. “I can’t imagine what would keep him from an evening like this. It was to be a celebration at one of his favorite restaurants.”

“All I have to say is that when he comes home, YOU do the talking. Don’t let me start, or it will nae end well,” Merlin growls. 

“Do you think, well…do you think he forgot?” Harry offers as they slide into the backseat of a cab. “Perhaps he’s at home cooking dinner, wondering where WE are?”

“If that’s the case, why wouldn’t he have responded to our messages?” Merlin replies.

“Oh, of course.”

They sit in silence for the rest of the ride, and once they enter the house there’s no Eggsy and no JB yipping at his heels. He’s whining in his crate, pawing at the wire bars. “I’ll take him out,” Merlin says. “Put the food away?”

“Yes, of course,” Harry says. Merlin takes JB out to relieve himself and when they return Harry has food in the dog’s dish. “Do you think perhaps we should contact Jamal? Maybe HE called Eggsy, and…or Richard. Maybe Richard needed something.”

“He’s not six, Harry. I’m not calling all his friends to ask if they’ve seen him. He will explain it all once he returns.” Merlin heads for the stairs. “I’m going to change.”

“I’ll be up momentarily,” Harry says.

They changes clothes and eventually end up picking at their food, although neither of them eat much. They sit in front of a television program neither of them really pay attention to, and they both check their phones every few moments. They finally give up at nine and go up to bed. Before he changes into his pajama bottoms and vest, Merlin sends one more text message.

_You’d better have quite the explanation when you get home tomorrow, lad._

As soon as he’s up the next morning, Merlin uses the en suite and heads for Eggsy’s bedroom. He doesn’t care how late the boy got in, they’re going to discuss this right now. He knocks sharply on the door. “Lad, we need to have a talk,” Merlin says sternly, opening the door.

He stares at the empty, perfectly made bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Eggsy wakes up with a splitting headache, cold feet, and sore shoulders. As he blinks into wakefulness and tries to stretch he finds his arms held to his side and his ankles pressed to a chair. “Whathefuck?” He slurs. He coughs, smacks his dry lips together, and forces his heavy eyelids to open. 

His feet are cold because he’s missing his trainers and socks. His shoulders are sore because his arms are bound behind his back, wrists tied together behind a rather uncomfortable metal chair. The splitting headache…that he isn’t sure of, although it’s reminiscent of one of his more horrible hangovers. He forces his eyes to focus and takes in his surroundings. A completely nondescript room, about the size of the master bedroom at home. There’s a small folding table a short distance away, nothing he can reach but it’s empty anyway. Cinder block walls, cement floor, buzzing fluorescent light above his head. One door. No windows. The place smells of mold and moisture and disuse. 

He then looks down at himself. Trainers and socks gone, belt gone, necktie gone. He frowns. He likes that tie, the green in it reminds him of the flecks of Merlin’s eyes. He twists his neck a bit and growls. Gold chain gone. What the actual fuck?

“What the actual fuck?” Eggsy says out loud. His voice echoes in the emptiness of the room. “Hello?” He feels like an idiot for calling out but it’s not like he has a whole lot of options. “Anyone there?” Silence.

Eggsy tries to get his fuzzy brain back on track by recapping the events of the afternoon. He closed down the shop, put on his trainers, locked the door, and headed out onto the pavement. He was looking for a cab; Harry and Merlin had offered to reserve a Kingsman car for him, but he hated using something so official just to get to dinner. He was heading for the corner to flag one down when someone stopped him. “Hey, mate, I’m running late, do you have the time?”

“Yeah, sure, bruv.” Eggsy pulled his mobile from his pocket. “It’s almost four…”

Something sharp slapped into the side of his neck, similar to a bee sting but a bit more painful. He’d dropped his phone in shock, reaching up to touch his neck. “Easy does it,” the man cooed. “Here, lean on me…into the car, now.”

“Going to dinner,” Eggsy remembers saying, but that’s the last thing he remembers.

He thinks hard about everything that happened. The man guided him into the car. He couldn’t even walk there. The bloke had to actually push him onto the back seat. Obviously there was something in whatever hit his neck, some sort of drug. But what? And why? Why HIM? He works for a tailor? He’s from the bloody estates. But here he is, tied to a chair in a freezing cold musty excuse for a cell. Fucking wankers.

“Oi, you fucking wankers!” Eggsy yells. “Why don’t you show yourself, fucking cowards!” He looks around the room and sighs. No windows. He has no clue what time it is, or how long he’s even been there. He could have been out for hours, or for days. His stomach growls with displeasure and he thinks wistfully of the seafood chowder and scallops. He then thinks of Harry and Merlin. He drops his chin to his chest and sighs.

“So, do we have an explanation for last night?” Harry says cheerfully as he enters the kitchen in his red dressing gown. His smile fades as he sees Merlin sitting alone at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. “Oh. I saw Eggsy’s bed was made, I thought he was down here with you.”

“I dinnae think he slept in it last night,” Merlin informs his husband. He rubs at his eyes wearily. “I got up at my usual time and the bed was perfectly made. Unused.”

“Oh.” Harry hesitates before going to prepare his own cup of tea. “I suppose asking if you’ve heard from him is completely ridiculous.”

“Not ridiculous, but the answer is no.” Merlin sips at his tea. Harry opens his mouth. “Don’t. You’re going to tell me to start tracking him down, and that’s insane. He’s a grown man. If he wished to run off to Tahiti for the rest of the week, we cannae stop him.”

“Hamish.” Harry blinks at him in shock. “You still think he…you’re still ANGRY with him? There’s NO way he just ran away on holiday without telling us or even his mother.”

“Well, then, Harry, what’s YOUR explanation?” Merlin looks at him calmly.

“I fear foul play.”

“Of course ye do, because you see life as a screenplay with you as the dramatic lead.” Merlin sighs and shakes his head. “Nae. The lad simply wished to…”

“You’re wrong,” Harry interrupts so viciously that Merlin puts his cup on its saucer. “You are absolutely incorrect. There is NO way that boy would just jaunt off without a word to anyone. And he would NEVER leave the shop unattended. He cares far too much about doing his job correctly. If he asked someone to cover for him, you’d know about it, because he’d have to ask another agent to do it. More than likely Lancelot, Percival, or Tristan. Contact them and find out.”

“I will do no such thing. I will log into the feed for the shop at half-eight, which is when things should be done to open the shop. I have a feeling that he’ll show up in yesterday’s clothes with his tail between his legs. And then we’ll deal with what comes next.”

Harry shakes his head. “Insane. Absolutely insane.” He leaves the room with his cup, still shaking his head as he goes.

Merlin stares down at his cup without really seeing it. What Harry cannot possibly understand is the fear flowing through Merlin at this very moment. He’s always known that Eggsy would get tired of them eventually…especially of him. Merlin is cranky, he’s downright miserable at times, and Eggsy has always accepted him without question. But Merlin has always known there would come a time where Eggsy couldn’t handle it anymore. Couldn’t handle the hiding and the lying and the fact that Merlin and Harry as a married couple would always take a very slight preference to their triad. They’ve told him repeatedly that when he was ready for a monogamous relationship with one man, they would let him go with much love and best wishes.

That doesn’t mean Merlin’s ready for it to happen.

True, he’d expected Eggsy to be more diplomatic about it. He’d expected a conversation along the lines of, “Merlin…Harry…I’ve met someone.” But perhaps Eggsy is actually afraid to tell them. Perhaps he’s worried about an explosion from Merlin, or Harry being crushed in a very overdramatic, BAFTA-worthy fashion. So he just disappeared. 

He looks up in surprise when Harry reappears in the doorway of the kitchen, still clutching his cup, still wrapped in his red dressing gown. “Hamish,” he says quietly. “I cannot find it in myself to believe that our Eggsy would run off like this without reaching out to SOMEONE. He wouldn’t even take a job on Kingsman property before his mother was settled. Do you really think he’d just leave like this without a word to her or anyone else? That he would disappear without…without saying goodbye?”

Harry’s expression is so troubled that Merlin can actually feel a piece of the wall around his heart slowly crumble away. Merlin stands and goes to envelop his husband in his arms. “Ye are correct, Harry, although saying those words gives me indigestion.” He feels Harry smile against his neck. “Why don’t ye try sending him a message again, and I will contact Roxy and Richard. I feel that if he was really going to run, they would know about it. I will also message Tristan and ask him to hurry in and open the shop…he’s on post-mission leave for a few days but the shop is nothing he can’t handle. And then by this afternoon, if we have not heard from him after lunch, I will ping his mobile and start there.”

“Thank you, Hamish.” Harry holds him tight.

Whatever they zapped into his neck causes Eggsy to doze off, and it’s only when the door suddenly opens that he’s jolted back into reality. He blinks hard, trying to focus on the person in front of him. “Well, look who’s awake!”

Eggsy squints as he tries to figure out if he recognizes the man. He’s probably in his late thirties, with bright red hair and hazel eyes. He’s a little overweight, about Eggsy’s height, wearing a pair of jeans and a blue button-down. He drags another chair in behind him and Eggsy winces at the screeching sound of the metal legs on the cement floor. “Who the fuck are you?” Eggsy snaps.

“I’m your host. You may call me Mr. Collins.”

“I ain’t calling you nothing, bruv.” Eggsy raises his chin and tries not to sound as afraid as he feels. “What the fuck’s going on?”

“Charming. And they have YOU running the tailor shop?” Mr. Collins asks with a snort. “I expected something a little better of Kingsman.”

“Yeah, well, Kingsman Tailors don’t discriminate,” Eggsy says defiantly. “Not that I care what you think.”

“Cheeky…cheeky…” Mr. Collins seems amused. Eggsy studies his face. It’s not the man who approached him on the pavement and he doesn’t seem at all familiar. Yet he knows Eggsy works at Kingsman. “But you’re not the regular clerk in the shop, are you?”

“None of your business,” Eggsy says sullenly.

“We’ve only seen you there twice, although someone mentioned you working there before.”

So someone’s watching the shop. “Good for you.”

“We were going to snag the old man, figured he’d be easy enough…but then YOU showed up.” Mr. Collins checks his fingernails. “You’ve got a bit of an attitude, but that’s nothing we can’t beat out of you. We take pride in our interrogatory skills, you see.”

Eggsy’s eyes narrow. “You leave him alone. Dunno what you want with Kingsman Tailors, but…”

“So brave,” the man coos. “We want absolutely nothing with Kingsman Tailors. We know the truth. We know they’re the front for something else.” Eggsy’s blood runs cold and he does everything he can to keep a straight face. “And you’re going to tell us what that is.”

“Um, like you said, I’m just a stupid counter boy, bruv. All I know is I fold what they tell me to fold, measure what they tell me to measure, and sell what they tell me to sell. It’s a tailor shop.” He shrugs, not an easy feat with his hands behind his back.

“Hmmm.” Mr. Collins eyes him speculatively. “I’m not quite sure I believe you.” He stands up and slowly drags the chair to the far wall. “I’ll be sending in a friend to speak with you. Perhaps she can get you to tell the truth.”

“Oi, mate, c’mon.” Eggsy struggles in his bonding. “I don’t know nothing! I sell overpriced suits in a bloody Saville Row shop! That’s it!”

“Still…she does love a good chat and I think she’ll have an appreciation for your…personality.” Mr. Collins grins. “Good day.” He goes out the door and locks it.

“Get back in here, you bastard!” Eggsy yells after him. He bounces a bit on his chair. “Fuck.”

“You wished to see me, Merlin?” Lancelot’s pretty face appears on the wall monitor in Merlin’s office.

“Yes, Lancelot. Unfortunately I am unable to come in to the office today, but I needed to speak to you.” Merlin fidgets uncomfortably. “It is…of a personal nature.”

“Of course, sir. How may I be of assistance?” If she’s surprised that he wishes to have a personal conversation with her, she doesn’t show it. She is an exemplary agent.

“I was wondering if you’d heard from Eggsy today.”

She blinks in surprise. “No, sir. I have not. I know he was supposed to cover for Andrew this week but when I got to the shop it was empty and dark. Is he all right?”

“We are still trying to figure that out,” he says evasively. This time her eyes widen a bit. “So he mentioned covering for Andrew.”

“Yes. He was very excited about it.”

“Aye, he was. Did he mention…did he mention going away for a few days? Taking a trip, or a holiday?”

“No, sir.”

“Has…did…” Merlin clears his throat. “Did he mention having met someone, forming a…romantic attachment?”

“No, sir,” she says firmly. “It is my understanding that he’s already involved romantically.” Her eyes seem to bore through him, even through a camera and a monitor. “Not that we’ve ever discussed the specifics, but he made it quite clear that he was in a committed relationship, and that this person…or people…were very special to him.”

Merlin feels as if someone has dumped cold water over his head. Lancelot knows. She knows that Eggsy is in a relationship with Merlin and Harry. And she doesn’t sound judgmental. Granted, she’s a trained spy who can easily hide her true feelings, but in this particular situation Merlin doesn’t think she would. “I see. I am not at liberty to discuss such things, of course, but I would probably agree with everything you’ve said. And I do believe the person…or persons…feel the same about Eggsy.”

“How could they help it?” Lancelot says with a tiny smile. “If I could ask why we are discussing this?”

“Eggsy was supposed to meet us for dinner last night and never showed. He has not responded to any attempts at contact, and he has not come home.”

“Oh,” she says quietly. “I assure you, Merlin, that Eggsy made no mention to me of any plans to leave the city.”

“Thank you, Lancelot.”

“If this would turn into any sort of serious situation, sir, please know that I am at your disposal,” she says solemnly.

“I will keep that in mind, Lancelot, thank ye.”

Merlin stares at the monitor long after its gone dark. Roxy and Eggsy have spoken about his relationship, and without going into detail, Eggsy had informed her that he was happy with his situation. Merlin doubts Eggsy knows Roxy’s figured out the specifics. He’d probably be happy that she knows.

Merlin calls down to the kennel to speak with Richard and has pretty much the same conversation (minus the part about romantic involvements). Richard spoke to Eggsy last on the previous Friday, although he’d texted Eggsy to wish him luck on Sunday evening. “If he contacts me I will let ye know immediately,” Richard promises. “I bet something came up with his mum or sis. Did ye check hospitals or whatever?”

“It’s on my list,” Merlin says, although his heart sinks at the thought. “Thank ye, Richard.”

“Of course, Merlin.”

Merlin finds Harry seated on a chair in the garden, keeping an eye on JB as he gambols to and fro. “Any news?” Harry asks immediately.

“Nae. Well, yes, but not the kind we were looking for.” Merlin sits down on the opposite seat and is immediately greeted by JB. “Hello, Mr. Bauer. Do not dig in the rose beds…your Daddy would be quite upset with ye.” JB arfs and happily makes a beeline for the roses.

“Whatever are you talking about?” Harry asks irritably.

“I do believe young Lancelot knows about our relationship with Eggsy.” Harry’s mouth falls open and Merlin takes a brief minute pleasure in shocking his husband. “I hinted about a new romantic interest, and she said she had come to believe that Eggsy was happily involved with someone…and the way she worded it was in the plural.”

“Oh. My word,” Harry says weakly. “How…how do you feel about that?”

“I know Eggsy would be pleased if he had someone to confide him, and I must admit I trust Lancelot above anyone else in HQ other than you and perhaps Percival. She mentioned meeting Eggsy for the first time outside your room in Medical when you were injured. He was quite distraught, more than one would expect a tenant to be over a landlord. I’m sure she started to figure things out back then. She’s quite intelligent.”

“She is.” Harry watches JB. “But nothing else?”

“Nae. Eggsy has not mentioned wishing to go away for any reason, at least not to his dearest friends.”

“I do not wish to worry Michelle.” Harry looks at him. “You’ll look into his mobile after lunch?”

“Yes, Harry.” Merlin puts his hand out and Harry takes it, bringing it to his lips and kissing it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some minor torture, nothing horribly graphic.

“Wake up.” A sharp slap to the back of Eggsy’s head jolts him awake. He has no clue how long it’s been since his last visitor, and he has nothing to do but doze in and out. His back and shoulders are burning, and his neck is aching from the droop of his head. “Ah. There you are. My my, aren’t you a pretty one.” A young woman about his own age drags the metal chair across the room once more. She’s dressed in a jumper and jeans and looks toasty warm. Eggsy can barely feel his toes by now, and he’s surprised he can’t see his own breath in the chill of the room. “Mr. Unwin, correct? My name is Ms. Allison.” Eggsy says nothing. “I apologize that we’re keeping you from your very charming little house. Such sweet window boxes. I’m sure the owners must be generous Good Samaritans, willing to rent a room to trash like you.” She continues to smile pleasantly. Eggsy tightens his hands into fists. They better not lay a hand on his men. “We’ve been watching you for a while, you see. Run your pretty face through quite a few databases. And it ends up lots and lots of men have thought you pretty, haven’t they?” She reaches out to glide her fingers over his cheek.

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

The slap snaps his head back, a slice of pain shooting through his cheek. It’s only then that he notices the large rings she wears on either hand. “Come now, Mr. Unwin. I realize manners aren’t emphasized in that hellhole you grew up in, but that’s no way to speak to a lady.”

“Find me a lady and I’ll speak nicer to her,” Eggsy says before he thinks. The hand flies out again and now both cheeks throb. He can feel the slow drip of blood down to his jaw.

“Obviously we know you work for Kingsman, Mr. Unwin. That, added to the fact that you’re just a simple idiot from the Estates, made you valuable to us. We figured we could get the information we need without much effort.”

“If I knew anything, which I don’t, I wouldn’t tell you. I don’t grass,” Eggsy snarls.

She leans forward, digging her hands into his knees with such ferocity that he can feel her fingernails actually push through the fabric of his trousers. She pulls her hands down and he feels the fabric go. Red stains of blood mark the fabric and she smiles pleasantly. “Do NOT interrupt me. As I was saying, we knew you were a Kingsman employee. A counter clerk. But today things got a lot more interesting. We were only looking at you as Kingsman employee with knowledge of the operation…but then we got a look into your wallet. We found your address…as I said, a sweet little house owned by Henry Devere.” Eggsy blinks stupidly at her. He has no clue who that is. He thought Kingsman, or at least Merlin, owned the house. “And what makes that fascinating to us is that we’ve met Mr. Devere, or at least one of our friends has. It didn’t end well. Mr. Devere garroted him with a guitar string.” Eggsy winces. “That means strangled, by the way.”

“I know what garrote means,” Eggsy growls.

“Good for you.” She rolls her eyes, obviously bored. “We’ve been looking for Mr. Devere for ages now…we made the connection to Kingsman quite recently, hence our interest in the shop, and, of course, in you. But now things get even MORE interesting. You say you know nothing about Kingsman other than its work as a tailor shop, yet you live in a house owned by Henry Devere.” She tilts her head and smiles sweetly. “I’d love to hear all about him.”

“I don’t have a fucking clue who this Devere bloke is. I rent from a nice older couple, two husbands, and their names ain’t Devere. Or even Henry.”

She stands and kicks her chair back, grabbing him by the hair and pulling so hard he is forced to stare at the ceiling. “I cannot imagine you’re that stupid. You’re telling me you have no clue who Henry Devere is?” She shoves a mobile into his face and he forces his eyes to focus…on a picture of Harry Hart.

“For God’s sake, Harry, please stop breathing down my neck!” Merlin snaps, turning around to glare at his husband in annoyance.

“Was I bothering you? I’m sorry,” Harry says in a completely unapologetic tone of voice. “You must forgive me. My young lover has fallen off the face of the Earth and I’m a bit vexed at the moment.”

“Will ye stop with the dramatics?”

“Will you ping his bloody phone?” Harry all but yells. Merlin slowly stands and they stare at each other for a long moment. Harry sighs and seems to grow smaller. “I’m sorry, Hamish, do forgive me,” he finally says in a tone that is much more sincere. “I’m just…I’m sorry.”

“Aye, Harry.” Merlin places his hand on the back of Harry’s neck and gently pulls him forward until their foreheads meet. “I am as well. Give the system a moment to connect to all the other databases, and we’ll begin.”

“Of course. You know what you’re doing and I will try not to hover.” Harry kisses him and walks away, going to a corner of the office and picking something up off the floor. Eggsy’s kneeling cushion. Harry seems to not even notice that he starts hugging it.

Merlin clicks a few things and waits. A map of Great Britain appears. Then England. Then London. Then… “Lambeth,” Merlin says with surprise.

“Lambeth? Harry blinks at him. “That’s not far from his local. Do you think he’s staying with someone there?”

“I think his mobile is there.” Merlin types a few more things, sending the information to his glasses as well as Harry’s. “Let’s go take a look.”

“Let me get a few things,” Harry says grimly.

Merlin doesn’t think they’ll find Eggsy at this location, but he doesn’t say that to Harry. Eggsy knows he has the capability to track his phone, so why in the world would he go somewhere so easy to reach? Merlin waits for Harry to put on his holster, shove a few items in his pockets, and then they’re finally out the door.

Traffic is in its normal state of disarray, but they finally are able to find a carpark not far from the flickering light on the map. “We are only doing reconnaissance, Harry,” Merlin reminds him. “If he doesn’t wish for us to find him, we will nae go running in with guns drawn.”

“Maybe you won’t,” Harry mutters.

They try to stroll down the pavement at a leisurely, casual pace, not trying to attract any attention to themselves. Merlin desperately wants to run and he knows his husband feels the same. “Relax,” Merlin murmurs, more to himself than to Harry.

“All right, it should be just…” Harry stops short, staring at the building in front of them. “A dance studio?”

“Nae, it cannot be.” Merlin stares at the building for a moment and then focuses on the readout on his glasses. “It is not,” he says, heart sinking as he turns around. He reaches into the half-full rubbish bin, shoving wrappers and containers around without a second thought. His fingers find something smooth and rectangular. He slowly stands up and looks at Eggsy’s mobile in his palm, his thumb running over the cracked screen. The back is gone and there are tell-tale signs of water damage. The mobile is completely useless and it’s only due to Merlin’s hours of work on the trackers that it still managed to rebound his ping.

“What…how…” Harry murmurs. “Why would he throw away his mobile?”

“I dinnae think he did, Harry.” Merlin refuses to say the words out loud. “Let’s go back home and review all the camera footage around the shop. I want ye to help me…two sets of eyes are much better than one.”

“There he is,” Harry says as they watch Eggsy exit the shop.

“Thank ye, Harry,” Merlin says wryly. “All right. I’ve told the software to focus on him and follow him down the pavement. We have cameras the entire length of Saville Row, so it shouldn’t…” He groans.

“What?”

“That mass of people at the corner. He’s…” Merlin angrily taps at a key again and again. “We keep losing him. He’s there, and then he isn’t.”

“Did he get in a cab?” Harry asks, squinting as he tries to see something. ANYTHING.

"Not that I can tell. Fuck.” Merlin angrily pounds the desk. “Who ARE all those people? Since when is Saville Row so bloody popular?”

“It’s all right, Hamish,” Harry says quietly. He puts a hand on his husband’s arm and isn’t surprised when it is shoved away.

“It’s NOT all right. I have those cameras there for a reason. I should be able to SEE.”

“It’s all right,” Harry says again. “They’re machines, Merlin.”

“I’m going to find something. I don’t care if I have to watch the footage second by bloody second!” Merlin roars.

They hear a mournful whimper from outside the door. JB. “I’ll take him out and make tea. Are you hungry?” Harry asks as he stands.

“Nae,” Merlin says sharply. Harry sighs and opens the door.

JB looks up at him sadly, whining deep in his throat. “I know, Mr. Bauer. We miss him, too.”

Harry bends down and picks the dog up, cradling him in his arms as he heads for the back door. Only when he actually reaches the garden does he put him down, and then as soon as they’re back inside and he wipes the dirty paws Harry picks him up again. He cuddles him close, rubbing his chin over the soft ears. JB licks his face and Harry closes his eyes. Unlike Merlin, he has never once thought that Eggsy disappeared somewhere just because he needed to get away. He knows Eggsy would never do that to them…he just doesn’t have it in him. But now Harry is beyond alarm and moving toward frightened. Their boy seems to have just gone into thin air and even Merlin is having trouble finding him.

Harry takes a few deep breaths and works to morph that fear into anger. When they find whose had the nerve to lay one finger on Eggsy, nothing will stop him from turning the ground red with blood.

“I’m telling you,” Eggsy says tiredly. “I ain’t never met no Henry Devere. Ever.”

She sighs, looking as exhausted as he feels. They’ve been going back and for what seems like hours now. “Then how do you explain the fact that he owns the home you live in?”

“I don’t know. You’re so smart, you tell me.” Eggsy raises an eyebrow and earns another hit to the face, this time dangerously close to his eye. He smiles grimly. If this bitch only knew that smacks to the face were as regular as porridge for breakfast growing up.

She signs again, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. “Very well.” She goes to the door, knocks, and two large men come in. They barely fit through the door and every inch of them is tightly packed muscle. “These are my friends Steven and Joseph. They’re going to help you undress.”

“Undress?” Eggsy blinks up at her. He’s feeling tired and hungry and his mouth is as dry as dirt. He’d give anything for a drink of water. He mentally kicks himself. He hasn’t been here that long and he’s already whining about being thirsty? Harry would be ashamed of him. But then again, Eggsy reminds himself, Harry’s been trained for this sort of thing. Eggsy hasn’t.

“Oh, never mind.” She snaps her fingers and the men go to stand on either side of Eggsy. “They’re going to free your hands just enough to get your shirt off. If you decide to do anything foolish it will take mere seconds for one of them to snap your neck. Is that understood?”

“It’s freezing in here! You can’t take my shirt off!”

“Is that understood?”

“What the FUCK, lady? Christ!” Eggsy yells, angrily tugging at his bindings.

One of the men puts a hand at the back of his neck and clamps down. “Snap?” He asks almost hopefully.

“No, not yet. We might still get something out of him.” She walks over to stand in front of Eggsy and he glares up at her. She wiggles her fingers. “Knife.” Eggsy’s eyes widen as the other man pulls a Swiss army knife from his pocket and unfolds a sharp blade. “Thank you.” She leans forward and smiles sweetly into Eggsy’s face. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.” She carefully places the blade on the front of his shirt and slices away the buttons one by one. “Oh, you’re more than pretty,” she hisses, licking her lips. He pulls as far back as he can and she laughs merrily. “I’m not sure where you think you’re going. You’re completely at my mercy…which makes you even more attractive.”

“Don’t touch me,” he says almost without thinking.

“I shall if I desire,” she says loftily. The blade rests at his neck, moves over his shoulder, and starts dragging down his arm until it catches on the fabric of the shirt, tearing as it goes. He hisses as the metal punctures his skin. “Oh, I AM sorry. You must have flinched.”

Eggsy grits his teeth and tries not to shiver as his skin is exposed to the cold air of the room. She frees his other arm and then hacks at the fabric around his wrists until the shirt crumples to the floor under the chair. “Bloody hell,” Eggsy murmurs, trying to keep his teeth from chattering.

“I’m proud of you. Imagine what might have happened if you moved when I was opening the cuffs!” She says with false horror. “Such a nice shirt…a shame you made me ruin it.” She picks up the shirt and smiles down at him. “You don’t have many articles of clothing left, Mr. Unwin. And we don’t plan on turning the heat up in here any time soon. I’d start thinking very hard. Delve deep into your memory, push the limits of that tiny brain of yours. Try to find some information about Henry Devere.” She actually pats him on the head and he instinctively tilts it away. The brute standing behind him squeezes so hard he actually sees stars. “Now now, Steven, relax. We need him alive and talking for a little while longer. Not that I think anyone would care if he’s dead. Bye for now!” She gives him a cheery wave and the three of them leave the room.

“Fucking bitch,” Eggsy snarls as soon as the door closes. “Jesus fuck,” he says, shivering and trying to draw in on himself. He can’t do much; everything is completely exposed. He closes his eyes and ‘delves deep into his memory,’ but not in the way she wants. He thinks of Harry, the way his arms feel around him when they cuddle before falling asleep. He thinks of Merlin, the way he runs so warm that Eggsy barely needs blankets in the winter. It helps…for a little while.

“Hamish,” Harry says from his seat on the sofa. JB is cuddled on his lap and Harry’s absently stroking a the soft fur.

“Aye?” Merlin answers, not looking away from where he stands at the window. It’s evening now, dark and empty. Eggsy’s out there somewhere and Merlin can’t find him. It’s not like locating an agent. Kingsman agents are registered with Interpol, MI-6, the CIA, for just this reason.

“I was thinking. I thought you told me once that when Eggsy first came here you put bugs in his clothing.”

“I did,” Merlin says, smiling a bit. “That’s when I was able to press his stepfather’s ear to the stove.”

“I remember,” Harry says. “I also thought you said you put trackers in the rest of his clothing, including his shoes.”

“I did.” Merlin slowly turns from the window, his heart rising up into his throat. “Harry, that’s…” He groans and slaps himself in the face. “I did…except for the new items you purchased over the weekend. I didn’t have time, and he was planning on wearing everything this week on one day or another. I was going to, but I had other things I thought were more pressing.” Merlin keeps his hands pressed to his face. “Fuck, Harry. If I’d have just taken the ten fucking minutes necessary, we would know where he is. But, as always, I put work before our sweet lad.”

“Hamish, no. No.” Merlin hears Harry get up. “No, Hamish. This is not your fault. Of course you figured you’d have time to take care of it later. Who wouldn’t? Who would have ever seen something like this happening?”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to him about placing a permanent tracker like the one I have on all the agents,” Merlin says into Harry’s shoulder. “I put that off, too.”

“It’s all right, Hamish.” Harry gently rocks him side to side. “That is a large request, asking to place a tracker that can never be taken away. It’s not your fault.”

Merlin allows Harry to lead him to the sofa. “I’ve never felt this helpless before, Harry. Not even when he was sick.”

“I know, Hamish.” Harry gives him a gentle kiss and leans close. “I know.”

JB whines at them from the floor. “Oh, all right,” Merlin says with a sigh. He picks JB up and settles the dog on his lap, not saying a word when JB puts his paws on Merlin’s chest and licks his face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again a bit of a warning for mild torture...but the last chapter to include it.

The door opens, Mr. Collins comes in, and Eggsy wearily raises his head. He’s never realized how tiring it is to sit in one place. His knees are tight, his calves are cramping, and everything is aching from his elbows up. It must be the next day; Mr. Collins is wearing a different shirt and new trousers. “Good morning, Mr. Unwin. It looks like you’ve had a nice chat with Ms. Allison.”

“Yeah, she’s a fucking charmer,” Eggsy says, forcing himself to smile. His entire body is shivering and covered with goosebumps but he’s not going to let this bastard bring him down.

Mr. Collins places a tumbler on the table and Eggsy sees it’s full of ice. Suddenly it’s all he can think about. His stomach has been steady grumbling for hours but his mouth is so dry. He licks his lips and does his best not to stare at the glass. “Oh, this interests you?” Mr. Collins shakes the glass slightly and the ice gives a merry tinkle. “I meant to pour myself a drink and stopped halfway through to come speak with you. I’d forgotten this was even in my hand.” He shakes it again and Eggsy can see the ice start to slowly melt. “Ms. Allison says you know Henry Devere.”

“Ms. Allison is full of shit,” Eggsy says through clenched teeth. “I told her…repeatedly…that I don’t know no Henry Devere. I don’t even know anyone called Henry. And she said I’M stupid,” he finishes with a mutter.

The fist comes fast, connecting with his jaw and snapping his head back. “You will not speak of a lady in such a manner, you idiot.”

“As I said to her, find me a lady and I won’t talk bad about her.”

Another punch, this time to the meat of his shoulder. He exhales hard and gasps for breath. “You really don’t learn, do you, Mr. Unwin?” Mr. Collins sneers.

“I’d learn if you fucking TOLD me something worthwhile. I work at a tailor shop. You think it’s MORE than a shop. It ain’t. And I don’t know nothing.”

“I’m sure you understand the word coincidence, even though it’s more than one syllable?” Mr. Collins asks. “Nod if you understand.” Eggsy rolls his eyes and this time the punch lands in his eye. “NOD.” Eggsy weakly nods and draws a ragged breath. “This CANNOT be a coincidence. You live in a house he owns and you know nothing about him?” Mr. Collins barks out a laugh. “We’ve been watching the house since we brought you here, waiting for the owners to come out.”

“They’re kind old gents,” Eggsy says. “Leave them the fuck alone.”

“That’s so sweet,” the man says in a mocking tone. “Your concern does you credit. However we won’t be leaving them alone, because guess who they are? Or at least who one of them is.”

“Lemme guess…a bald Scottish gent with perfect resting bitch face,” Eggsy snaps. 

“Yes, yes, of course,” Mr. Collins says irritably. “I’m talking about the other one.” He holds out a photo and Eggsy’s blood goes cold to match the rest of him. Harry and Merlin exiting the tiny house, grim looks on their faces.

“Handsome couple, ain’t they?”

“They are. And THAT…” Mr. Collins shoves the photo in his face. “Is Henry Devere.” He holds up his phone with the original picture. “So would you like to try again?”

“Told you. Ain’t no one ever introduced me to no Henry Devere,” Eggsy says honestly. “That’s my landlord, smart gent named Harry.”

“Harry. Harry.” Mr. Collins raps Eggsy on the head with his mobile.

“Fuck! Ow!”

“Harry is a nickname for Henry, you fucking nitwit! Jesus Christ, we should have waited to take the old man.”

“I know all about nicknames,” Eggsy says with a weary grin. “You think I was born with a name like Eggsy?”

“I know all about your name. It’s Gary Unwin, obviously…your wallet told us that. And a sweet little picture, drawn by a child, was also in your wallet. It said ‘To Eggsy.’ Your sister or brother perhaps?” Eggsy clamps his mouth shut. They’re not getting a damn thing about Daisy out of him. Mr. Collins picks up the glass and swirls it in front of him. Even in the chill of the room the ice has melted a bit, and a small puddle of water dances on the bottom of the glass. “Would you like a piece of ice, Mr. Unwin?”

“Don’t care,” Eggsy says, although his tone and the eager way he leans toward the glass tell the truth.

“I’ll give you a piece if you tell me about Henry Devere.”

“For fuck’s sake, bruv, I don’t know nothing about him! If he’s Harry then it’s a surprise to me. Mostly deal with his husband, anyway. They both work at the shop and Harry’s away for business most of the time.”

“Of course he is, because he is NOT a tailor! Either you’re a complete idiot or the best liar I’ve ever met.” He swirls the ice. “I have an idea. I’ll take a piece of ice, and then YOU can have one, okay?”

“Whatever,” Eggsy mumbles, licking his lips again.

“Excellent.” Slender fingers pull an ice cube from the glass and press it again the back of Eggsy’s neck. He screams as the sharp cold comes in contact with his skin. “Oh, calm down, you big baby.” He then pulls the ice around and holds it against Eggsy’s left nipple. He almost sobs from the pain. “There. That was mine.” He grabs the largest cube in the glass. “Open.” Eggsy obeys and the ice is shoved into his mouth. The cube is large, almost too large, and his body reacts to the icy cold: he gasps and the ice cube falls out of his mouth. “Oh, isn’t that a pity,” Mr. Collins says slyly. “Until we meet again, Mr. Unwin.”

“Nooooo,” Eggsy whines helplessly, left to stare at the ice cube as it melts on the floor. The door flies open again and he sinks back in his chair. Joseph and Steven. “What do you fuckers want?” He asks bravely.

“Boss says we get your trousers,” one of them says with a grin. “And if you mouth off, we get to shut you up.”

“Think he mouthed off already,” the other says with a grin, backhanding Eggsy in the face so hard his vision blurs. His hands and feet are untied but he barely has time to enjoy it. His muscles are so atrophied that every movement makes him groan in pain. A blade is pressed to his neck and he freezes. A strong arm goes around him and holds him close. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.”

“Thought didn’t cross my mind,” Eggsy says weakly, closing his eyes as he trousers are yanked down. He wiggles his legs, just a little, before he is slammed back onto the chair and bound once more, wearing nothing but his pants. 

“Be a good boy,” one of the men says, wiggling his fingers at Eggsy as they leave the room.

Eggsy shivers in his chair, hissing as the bare skin of his legs hits the cold metal. They know about Harry and Merlin. They might even find Daisy somehow. For the first time since his abduction, Eggsy starts to cry.

“Do you think this has something to do with Dean Baker?” Harry asks in the darkness. They’ve changed for bed, gone to bed, are laying in bed, but sleep isn’t coming anytime soon.

Merlin thinks for a moment. “Nae. I dinnae see anyone around him being intelligent enough to pull off something like this. And it’s been ages since we sent him away. What would they want with him now?”

“I was just asking,” Harry says sullenly, rolling over and turning his back to Merlin.

“Harry, don’t.” Merlin wraps himself around his husband, pressing his face to Harry’s back. “Please…don’t.”

“I’m afraid, Hamish. I’m so fucking afraid. What if…what if this is because of me? Because of us?”

Merlin kisses the back of Harry’s neck. “What do ye mean?”

“We’re spies, Hamish. We’re good, and your technology is amazing, but we’re not perfect. Agents have been chased down before. What if someone’s been following us, knows Eggsy is dear to us, and has taken him to get to you or I?”

“That’s ridiculous,” Merlin says immediately, although the same thought has been on his mind for hours. There are many possibilities as to why someone’s taken Eggsy. He’s an attractive young man, and there are sick people out there. He works for an expensive tailor, and someone might think he has money and a good family that might pay ransom. And, as Harry’s said, this could be revenge for something in their past.

“I’ll never forgive myself if this is my fault,” Harry whispers. “Our sweet boy…”

“Our sweet boy is strong, Harry, dinnae forget that. He’ll be fine,” Merlin whispers, although he doesn’t quite believe that 100%.

Eggsy slowly rouses himself from yet another catnap. The room is freezing, they never turn off the lights, but sleep only comes in bits and pieces. He’s too cold, too frightened, and just completely on edge. He forces himself to focus, to look around the room and take in all the information he can possibly process. As usual, it is just him, his chair, a table, and the door. He tries to figure out what exactly is binding his hands and feet. Something plastic. He looks at the table. The table, like the chair, is metal. Perhaps the edge might be sharp enough to cut through his bindings. It’s probably a ridiculous thought, but at this point Eggsy has stopped thinking rationally. The table is across the room but it might as well be a mile away. He wriggles a bit. The chair is light. Unfortunately he’s bound so tightly to the chair that he can’t do any sort of walking. He draws on his minimal store of energy and starts to hop as best he can. The chair bounces once, twice, but the third time it lands off balance and he’s unable to get it corrected. The chair wobbles, Eggsy cries out, and the next thing he knows he’s on his side on the icy cold floor. His entire right side is pressed against the cement, from his leg all the way up to his cheek. He can’t roll onto his back or he’ll be even more uncomfortable than he is now.

Just as the thought occurs to him that his captors might not be pleased with this new development, the door opens. “Well, Mr. Unwin, you seem to be in a bit of a pickle!” A pair of red high-heeled shoes click-clack into view. “My my…you’re like a beetle on its back, aren’t you?” Eggsy says nothing, just stares straight head. His entire body is almost convulsing with the cold but he refuses to voluntarily move a muscle. “I’m assuming you’d rather talk down there…all right. Needs must.” She gracefully gets to her knees and smiles down at him. “I’m going to ask yet again, Mr. Unwin…what do you know about Kingsman and Henry Devere’s work?” Eggsy remains silent. “I asked you a question, Mr. Unwin.” He stares at the buttons of her pink blouse. “Dear me.” She reaches out, caresses his cheek with the back of her hand, and trails her fingers to his left shoulder. She digs in her long nails and forcefully drags them all the way across his chest and abdomen to the waist of his pants. Eggsy’s been scratched by a cat before and it was nothing compared to this pain. He doesn’t need to look down to know she’s drawn blood. He’s so weak that he can no longer keep from whining with pain. “I’ll ask again, Mr. Unwin. Tell me about Henry Devere.”

“Dunno…him…” Eggsy finally says, his voice muffled by the press of his cheek against the floor. “I know Harry. He ain’t…”

She grabs him by the hair and slams his head down so hard he almost passes out. “I want you to listen and listen good, Mr. Unwin. If Mr. Devere is who we think he is…if he’s WHAT we think he is? Things aren’t going to end well for you. The people he works for don’t care about you. Agencies like that don’t even send someone in to save their own agents. The ones that actually MATTER. You don’t matter to them, to any of them. You’re nothing. You’re a body behind a counter. They’re expecting you to tell us something. They won’t come rescue you because you’re not worth rescuing. You’re just a stupid little boy selling things in a shop. The real men, they won’t come looking for you, because if they do, they know we’ll find them out. So if I were you I’d start talking…because right now I’m the only person who gives a fuck if you’re still alive…and I’m starting to lose interest.” She click-clacks out of the room again and slams the door.

“Would you like me to take over?” Harry walks up behind Merlin and starts massaging his shoulders.

“Aye,” Merlin groans. “Christ, that feels good.”

“You’re tight. You need to stretch more.”

“When we find Eggsy, I’ll stretch.” But Merlin stands up and reaches for the ceiling, causing an alarming number of pops and cracks along his spine. “Don’t say a word,” Merlin orders, and Harry gives him an innocent smile. “I should check in at HQ anyway.”

“I’m sure they’re fine. You trained them, after all,” Harry says. He takes Merlin’s seat and puts his hand on the mouse. “I’m going to rewind it to the beginning. It’s too hard for me to jump in like this.”

“Whatever ye want, Harry.” Merlin starts pacing back and forth, swinging his arms in wide circles to stretch his shoulders. They’ve both spent hours rewinding the footage, trying desperate to find any clue as to who’s taken their boy.

Harry drops his chin into his hand and stares at the computer screen. “Well, I didn’t notice that before,” he says idly, chuckling a bit. “He thought he could get away with it, too.”

“Now what, Harry? Is his shirt misbuttoned or something?” Merlin touches his toes and then does side bends. 

“No. He has on those ridiculous trainers. As if I wouldn’t notice that as soon as I arrived at the restaurant. I shudder to think what he did to his new oxfords.”

“Are they the ones with wings?” Merlin asks, groaning a bit as he stretches.

“The footwear of doom you purchased for him? No. Just a pair of white trainers. At least they look clean. And they’re NOT the ones edged in gold, thank Christ.”

“Well, Harry, perhaps he…” Merlin stands up so quickly he gets dizzy for a few seconds. “Did you say trainers?”

“Yes, Hamish. That pair he wears on a regular basis, with the black…” Harry stares at the monitor. “If he’s wearing his trainers, where are his oxfords? He wore them in the shop. I saw him wearing them in the shop.”

“He changed shoes before he left for dinner,” Merlin whispers. They stare at each other. “Harry…he left the shop wearing his own trainers.”

“Trainers with your tracking device in them,” Harry whispers back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note that I am HORRIBLE at mission planning, which is why I rarely write missions into my stories. Please forgive any weakness in this chapter.

“We must remain calm,” Merlin says as they sit in the back of a Kingsman cab en route to the shop.

Harry slowly turns to glare at him. “Do I not look calm?”

“Ye do, but I’ve met ye. Ye would prefer to go in with guns blazing, and we can’t. Not yet.”

“How can we go in with guns blazing when we don’t know where he is?” Harry retorts.

Merlin snorts and looks out the window. His own calm façade is a complete and utter lie. He wants to scream. He wants to punch something and punch it hard. He wants to find who has their boy and tear them limb from limb. But he sedately climbs out of the cab and waits for his husband to join him on the pavement. Percival looks up from behind the counter. “Merlin…Galahad…I thought you were staying home today.”

“We were. We need to look into something here at the shop,” Merlin replies. “Tell me, Percival…have ye seen anything out of the ordinary today, any clothing or shoes that don’t belong?”

“Not that I can remember,” Percival says. “What are you looking for in particular?”

“A pair of black oxfords made by Keyes and Sons,” Harry tells him. “Barely worn.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Percival says apologetically. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that Eggsy isn’t here behind the counter right now?” Harry and Merlin exchange glances. “Something’s happened to him, correct?” Percival smiles slightly. “No need to answer, it’s written all over your faces. I know he is quite special to the two of you.”

“Percival, I…” Harry begins.

“No need to explain, Harry. I was there the day he was injured in the shop, remember? I saw how you reacted, both of you. The two of you would never jump into action that way unless you were protecting someone you cared about. And you care for him as more than just a coworker who rents a room in your home.” He glances at Merlin. “You also wouldn’t stay away from HQ with no definitely time of return unless you were desperately needed for something else.”

“We think Eggsy has been taken,” Merlin says finally. He really shouldn’t be surprised. Percival is one of the most intelligent men he’s ever met. “He never met us for dinner on Tuesday, and footage in the neighborhood shows him literally disappearing into a crowd of people.”

“I bought him the shoes last weekend and he’s been wearing them to work here at the shop,” Harry says, picking up the story. “We’ve been reviewing that camera footage repeatedly, and finally realized he exited the shop in a pair of his own trainers, NOT the shoes I bought him. We’d like to get confirmation by finding the shoes.”

“Yes, of course.” Percival tilts his head. “Couldn’t you just review the footage from here IN the shop?”

“We have, and we didn’t see anything.”

Percival slowly turns around and heads to the back of the shop. “Well, then, perhaps he changed the shoes in the one place that DOESN’T have security cameras.”

“Bloody hell,” Merlin grumbles. He follows Harry and Percival into the stockroom.

“Oh dear,” Harry says with a sigh. “So many boxes.”

“All you have to do is find something that doesn’t belong,” Percival says, making a beeline for a shelving unit. He holds up a paper sack.

“I wouldn’t have known that doesn’t belong,” Harry says.

“I will be scheduling ye more at the shop after all is said and done,” Merlin informs him. He takes the sack from Percival and reaches in. His hand rests on a pair of shoes and he whips them out of the bag.

“Yes…yes, those are it.” Harry snatches them and all but hugs them.

“I have trackers in all of Eggsy’s clothing,” Merlin explains to Percival unashamedly. “As Harry said, he purchased these shoes as well as new clothes for Eggsy over the weekend, and I didn’t have the chance to put the trackers in.”

“I see,” Percival says. “So now you know he is wearing…or was wearing…a pair of trainers that you’ve already taken care of.” Merlin nods. “So what’s the next step?”

“I have more at my disposal in the office than I do at home. So I will be going in to HQ.” 

“If there’s anything I can do,” Percival says quietly. “Please do not hesitate to call on me. Eggsy is a fine young man, smart and kind...and the two of you are my closest friends, and I want to help you find the man you care for so deeply.”

Merlin blinks. He’d expected judgement, in all honesty. Percival has a very strict moral code. But he doesn’t look offended or embarrassed. He looks supportive. “Ye are a good man, Percival. If we need ye, I will let ye know.” Percival nods and Harry and Merlin head for the lift.

Harry doesn’t speak until they’re on the train. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“Percival is quite intuitive. We shouldn’t be surprised that he’s figured it out.” Merlin actually reaches over and takes Harry’s hand. “Eggsy has been wishing that he could tell someone about our relationship…it sounds like he might not have to tell many people at all. When he gets back we will have to have a long talk.” Merlin sighs. “I hate long talks.”

Harry briefly leans his head on Merlin’s shoulder. “I know you do, husband. But when he gets back, I think you’ll be willing to talk with him about anything under the sun.”

“Aye.” Merlin closes his eyes for just a moment.

As soon as the door open he strides down the corridor with Harry by his side. He enters his office, locks the door, and sends a message to his assistant Penelope, informing her that while he is currently in his office he should not be disturbed. “I’ll make tea,” Harry says hurriedly, going over to the tiny set-up Merlin has in the corner for just such a thing. “I need something to do and I don’t want to breathe down your neck.”

Merlin snorts. “Like tea will stop ye.” But he appreciates the way Harry is trying to let him do his job. He turns on computers, brings up databases, and only when Harry is placing the cup in front of him does Merlin enter the appropriate system. “Take a seat, Harry.” Harry eagerly pulls a chair over and sits down. “All right…let’s see what we have here.” Merlin orders his hand not to shake as he clicks the button to start the trace.

They stare at the screen. “Europe…Great Britain…England…London…” Harry whispers. “Haringey? You mean he’s here, in north London?”

“Well, the trainers are, if nothing else.” Merlin’s fingers rapidly fly over the keys. “A warehouse, of course, but it looks like the building is no longer in use. It’s not for sale, it’s not under development, it’s just…there.”

“Who owns it?”

“Wickham Industries.” Merlin frowns as he continues typing. “Which is a dummy corporation, apparently.” He does some more digging, absently sipping at his tea as he clicks with his other hand.

“Wait!” Harry barks, and Merlin almost drops his cup. “Go back.”

“Harry, I know what I’m doing.”

“I know, but…” Harry’s eyes scan one of the monitors. “There. Stop.” He points at the screen. “Collins Exotic Imports.”

“What about them?”

“My mission in twenty-eighteen. You didn’t run it…you were busy getting Bors out of Moscow without him blowing up the Kremlin.”

“Aye, I remember it well,” Merlin groans.

“It was a sex trafficking operation, and thankfully I was able to end its operation by killing the man in charge, a man called William Crawford. Horrible beast.” Harry shakes his head. “At any rate, this was just one part of their criminal empire, but at least we were able to chop off one of the heads.”

Merlin clicks on a few things and reads through the mission files. “Yes…I see. You used your Henry Devere alias.”

“That is correct.” Harry looks troubled. “I cannot imagine why they would have come out of the woodwork now. They’ve been quiet since that mission, I do believe.”

“Aye. But for all we know they’ve been biding their time, putting pieces together. Obviously they didn’t know you were a Kingsman agent.”

“Not something I advertise,” Harry replies. Merlin rolls his eyes.

“I have every camera in the area zoomed in as close as possible. We cannot go in until we’re sure this is what we’re dealing with.”

“Hamish…”

“Harry, let me do my job,” Merlin growls. “This is what I do. I find the cracks and split them just wide enough for our agents to get in. It won’t take long. Between the cameras and the technology we’ll make a match, confirm it’s who we’re dealing with, and THEN ye can get our boy back.”

The sun is warm on Eggsy’s face. “Don’t you want to sit under the umbrella, darling?” Harry asks. “I don’t wish for you to burn.”

“I’ll be fine, Harry. Sun’s nice and toasty, and it’s going down. Ain’t gonna get a sunburn. Thanks for caring, though.” Eggsy smiles at Harry, who looks very handsome in a white button down and tan trousers. The sleeves are cuffed at his forearms, he’s wearing sunglasses, and the ocean breeze is ruffling through his hair. 

“Of course I care, Eggsy.” Harry reaches over to hold his hand.

“How about a frozen drink of some sort? Something with an umbrella? It’s so hot,” Merlin complains. He’s wearing a gorgeous straw hat from Lock & Co., khaki shorts and a patterned short-sleeve button-up.

“You don’t like fancy drinks with umbrellas,” Eggsy says in surprise.

“Nae, but you do.” Merlin leans over and kisses him, just like that, in front of everyone.

“Not a frozen drink…I’m cold.” Eggsy shivers.

“But you’re sitting in the sun. We’re in the Caribbean,” Harry points out.

“Still cold.” Eggsy shivers again. “So cold, Harry. Gonna sit in the sun.”

“Do as you like, my boy. I don’t care. I don’t care if I see you ever again.” Harry slowly turns his back to Eggsy.

“Harry? Merlin?”

Eggsy’s eyes fly open and he sees not the crash of the ocean waves but the cement floor in front of him. He doesn’t see Harry’s dimpled smile, or Merlin’s hazel eyes. He sees the door across the room. He doesn’t feel warm and toasty in the Caribbean sun…he’s still cold and almost naked on the floor. He slowly closes his eyes and tries not to cry.

“Thank ye for coming in after your shift at the shop, Percival,” Merlin says. “Please take a seat. You as well, Lancelot.”

“Thank you, sir.” Lancelot gracefully sits.

“I told you I was here if you needed me,” Percival quietly reminds him. 

Merlin looks up at Harry, who nods. “We know where Eggsy is, at least we think we do.” He taps at a few keys and the wall on the screen comes to life. “We’ve located his trainers at this warehouse in Haringey, owned by a company linked to an organization known for human trafficking. Galahad broke up part of the organization a few years ago.”

“And you think they’ve taken Eggsy because of his connection to you, sir?” Lancelot asks Harry.

“We’re unsure, although it would make sense.” Harry looks uncomfortable. “When we’re in public together, we are very careful not to appear as anything except good friends. I’m unsure how they’d draw any sort of conclusion, unless it’s simply because he lives with us.”

“We’ve spent hours in observation of this warehouse and finally matched enough of the employees going in and out to link them with the criminal syndicate. We need to get in there and see if Eggsy’s on-site.” Merlin clicks a few more buttons. “The best time is overnight, as there are less than ten employees in the building. Lancelot, I’d like ye to go in with Harry. Percival, you will be waiting with the rest of the team and attend to Eggsy when they bring him out. We must assume they’ve attempted to get information out of him, and your medical expertise is required.”

“Of course.” Percival says with a nod. “I hate to ask this, Merlin, because I think I know the answer, but is Arthur aware of this?”

“He is, to an extent. I explained that we have a lead on another part of the syndicate, and he gave the go ahead to infiltrate the warehouse. I did not mention that we are trying to rescue one of the young men who works in the kennel,” Merlin says icily. He know that would have been a lost cause. Chester King barely acknowledges the existence of the support staff and would absolutely refuse to use any Kingsman resources to go after Eggsy.

“This won’t be pretty.” Harry turns to Lancelot. “I know you’ve seen many things in your time as a Kingsman agent, Lancelot, but this will not be a normal mission. You have never gone on a mission with me before. And this mission means more to me than any other.”

“I’ve…I’ve heard stories about you, sir,” she says almost embarrassedly. “But you always get the job done. And in this instance, I have your back no matter what. Eggsy is a good friend and I will stop at nothing to get him back.”

“Very well,” Merlin says. “Normally ye get more background and information regarding a mission, but time is of the essence. We will go over the plans to the warehouse a few times and then ye will be preparing to go in.”

“Yes, Merlin,” Lancelot says.

“We will find him, Merlin,” Percival says firmly. Harry says nothing, simply squeezes Merlin’s shoulder.

It seems like days later that they’re finally suiting up and preparing to go, although Harry knows it’s only been hours. Merlin is working like a man possessed, reaching out to their contacts for information on Robert Collins and his evil empire at the same time he is trying to prepare Lancelot and Harry. Drones and other reconnaissance equipment are quickly moved into place at Merlin’s command.

“Hamish,” Harry says softly. Merlin finally looks away from his computers. He pulls the earpiece from his ear and slowly stands. Harry moves to stand in front of him, resting his forehead against Merlin’s. “I will bring him home or die trying,” Harry murmurs.

“I would prefer ye do one and not the other, ye dramatic fool,” Merlin says. He gives Harry a hard passionate kiss. “I love ye, husband.”

“And I love you.”

Merlin then cradles Harry’s face in his hands and gives him the sweetest kiss he’s ever experienced. “And give this to our lad when ye find him.”

“Gladly,” Harry says with a tiny smile. “Well, I’m off.”

“I will nae be recording this for the Kingsman archives, but I do believe I might make a private tape of anything ye might encounter,” Merlin says idly.

Harry’s smile is broader now. “I would hope so.” 

Lancelot is waiting for him by the train, saying nothing as the doors open and they take their seats. Merlin continues to give instruction as the train hurries into the city. Percival and the others in the team have gone ahead to get into position and prevent anyone from coming onto the property, other than Lancelot and Harry, of course. When Merlin finally stops to take a breath and gather any last minute intel, she looks at Harry and says, “He’s very lucky.”

“Well, that is true. Very few would have the constitution to put up with him for so many years,” Harry says with a small smile.

“I meant Eggsy,” she says. “He’s found not one amazing man to love him, but two. He is quite fortunate.”

Harry looks down at his hands for a moment. “I do believe we are the fortunate ones, my dear. He has been a blessing in disguise…I’m quite unsure how we could ever live without him.”

“Well, then, we’ll just have to make sure you don’t need to find out if you could,” she says, her brown eyes hard as steel.

“Indeed.”

The train rumbles into the station under the shop and they hurry to the lift. A Kingsman vehicle sits out on the street, doors unlocking as they approach. Harry gets behind the wheel although his presence is merely to keep up appearances. The car is programmed and basically drives itself through the lonely city. Merlin murmurs last minute instructions in their ears and then the car is pulling to a stop on a dead end street. “Warehouse down and to your right,” Merlin says. “Two guards at the front but your best bet is the western side.”

A tiny map of the building appears on their glasses as they hurry around the building. Lancelot takes care of the door and then they’re quietly hurrying down a long corridor. “How many people are we talking about, Merlin?” Harry asks.

“According to heat signatures there are perhaps ten people milling about throughout the southwest quadrant. I’m not sure what they’re here for, but whatever it is, they’re not in a hurry about it. Three people remaining quite still in the northeast quadrant…offices, perhaps? And then a lone figure in this room.” The schematics blink. “Well, that’s odd.”

“What?” Lancelot whispers. 

“The heat signature in that room…the temperature of the room is low, but the body temperature of the person is low as well.”

Harry grits his teeth. “Let’s get to the bottom of it, then.”

They encounter two men shortly thereafter, but before they can even raise their arms Lancelot has them on the ground; one with a stab to the heart and the other with a well placed punch to the throat. Harry nods with approval and they head for the cold room in the center of the building. “We are in place, sir,” Harry hears Percival say. “External threats have been removed, and we are awaiting your signal.”

“Aye, Percival, understood.”

Lancelot and Harry slow down as they approach the room in question. Two men sit outside the door, their bodies stoic mountains on chairs. “Allow me,” Harry murmurs. He steps around the corner. “Good evening, gentlemen. I’m afraid I’m a bit lost.” The men slowly stand, surprise written all over their unintelligent faces. Harry shoots them both before they can say a word. He focuses his glasses on the doorknob.

“No special technology that I can see…a basic door that locks from the outside,” Merlin tells him. “And I’m not getting any sort of signal hinting at technology inside the room. This isn’t a place where they planned to keep prisoners.”

Harry shrugs, reach for the doorknob, and slowly turns it. The door opens and a blast of cold air hits his face. He hears Lancelot gasp. “It’s freezing!”

Harry doesn’t feel the cold as his eyes sweep the room and stop short on a figure huddled on the floor. He feels nothing but hot boiling rage, anger so huge and all-encompassing that for a brief moment he loses his vision. Harry takes a shuddering breath and stares at the man on the ground. Eggsy is stripped down to his pants, dried blood and bruises flowering over his perfect skin. He’s on his side, bound to a chair, face seemingly planted in the cement surface of the floor. His chest is moving, just barely, but what frightens Harry is the fact that he’s not shivering. Eggsy starts whimpering but doesn’t open his eyes.

“End them all, Galahad,” he hears Merlin hiss in his ear.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Merlin rescue their boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Badass!Harry makes an appearance in the chapter, it is not horribly graphic. Just in case, however, if a bit of violence and the death of the bad guys might upset you in some way, skip around the section set off by dollar signs ($$).

Merlin’s entire body vibrates as he looks at Eggsy through Harry’s glasses. His boy. Their boy. Their sweet pet. “End them all, Galahad,” he hisses at Harry.

Merlin hears a snap and looks down, realizing he has crushed the computer mouse in his hand. He shoves the pieces into a rubbish bin and digs through his desk for another mouse. “Lancelot, I need you to stay here with Eggsy,” Harry says. “The door locks from the outside, so you must remain with him until Percival comes.”

“I understand, Galahad.”

“If it is anyone other than a Kingsman agent, you know what to do.” 

Lancelot nods and firmly says, “Yes, Galahad. I will protect him at all costs.”

“If Percival or I come to do the door, we will knock so you know it is us,” Harry says. He doesn’t approach Eggsy and Merlin understands why. Harry is full of rage and fire right now, and he doesn’t dare get too close. Not yet. “I’ll be back for him.”

“Yes, Galahad.” Lancelot cracks the briefest of smiles. “Happy hunting.”

“Thank you, Lancelot,” Harry says grimly. He leaves the room and closes the door, briefly pausing in the corridor. “This will not be pretty, Merlin.”

“I don’t want pretty. I want blood,” Merlin replies.

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

$$$$$$$$$$$  
A man turns the corner and gapes at Harry, who simply smiles and gives him a nod. Harry’s fist flies out and from that moment on it’s as if he has morphed into a tornado of violence. He whirls through the hallways, beating and then killing anyone who makes the mistake of coming into his line of vision. He smashes heads against the wall, sends bullets into foreheads. He collects guns and weapons along the way, anything he can easily carry in his pockets or the waistband of his trousers. By the time he reaches the office suite Harry is breathing heavily and his hands are pink with blood.

“In place, Merlin. Will report momentarily,” Percival says through one of the speakers.

“Thank ye, Percival,” Merlin replies. He sighs with relief. If nothing else, Eggsy has a professional medic looking after him. “Take a moment, Galahad. There is no hurry now. Percival and the other agents have reached Eggsy. Percival has done an initial evaluation and is providing on-site first aid,” Merlin informs him. He looks down at his hands and is surprised to see them shaking. “Christ, I wish I was there with ye.”

“I do, too,” Harry says. “I would like nothing more than to end these bastards with you by my side, to stand in the pool of their blood giving you a kiss of victory.”

“After our boy is safe and on the mend,” Merlin promise. “Ye will get that kiss no matter what.”

“The door?” Harry asks quietly.

“Again, this is not made to be any sort of secure compound,” Merlin says, running a quick scan of the office. “You could kick that door in, if ye think ye have it in ye.” Harry snorts, raises his leg, and sends the door flying open. 

The room is a basic office with a desk, chairs, filing cabinets, a small bookcase, and the most basic of computers. Seated behind the desk is a man with red hair, and standing behind him is a young woman. “Excuse me,” Harry says politely. “I realize my entrance was quite rude. I do apologize for the damage done to your door.”

“Robert Collins himself,” Merlin murmurs to Harry. He scrolls through a few screens. “Dorothy Allison. Occasional paramour, right-hand woman.”

“Henry Devere,” Collins says, slowly standing up. “We’ve not had the pleasure.”

“No, we haven’t. Although I believe we have a mutual acquaintance…William Crawford.”

“Yes. That would be correct,” Collins says smoothly. Harry slowly walks around the desk but the people behind it don’t move.

“You killed him,” the woman growls.

“I do apologize,” Harry says again. “But needs must. He was doing simply horrible things to hundreds of innocent people. Was he your husband? Your boyfriend?”

“My brother,” she snaps, reaching into her pocket.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Harry’s arm flies out and she gasps, hand reaching for the knife now buried in her heart. “I know what it’s like to have someone hurt a person you care about.” She stumbles back and lands on the floor. Collins slowly starts to open a desk drawer. “Now now, Mr. Collins. We’ll have none of that.” The gun in Harry’s hand is unwavering as it aims at the man’s face. “Hands where I can see them, that’s a good man.” Harry goes to stand over the woman gasping for her last breaths on the floor. His gun is still trained on Collins as he looks down at her. “I don’t have proof, but I’m fairly certain you made my pet bleed.” He steps on the knife, driving it even further into her body. She lets out a horrible gurgling sound and is still, lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. Harry turns to Collins. “Now, where were we?”

“You truly are ridiculous. Not only are you here to rescue a chav piece of rubbish, but now everyone knows who you are and who you work for!” Collins crows. 

Harry pulls another knife from his pocket and shines the blade on his arm. “Enlighten me. Who am I, and who do I work for?”

“You’re an agent of some sort, working for Kingsman.”

“I am a tailor who works for Kingsman,” Harry corrects. “And who is ‘everyone’?”

“There’s a building full of people. They…”

Harry shakes his head sadly. “There is not, I’m afraid. Well, let me correct myself. There is a large group of people entering this building as we speak, but they have nothing to do with you. They’re fellow tailors, you see. And they’re quite fond of that chav piece of rubbish, as you so delicately put it.” Harry wiggles his way between Collins and the desk so he can sit on it. He then puts his foot on the chair between Collins’ legs and pushes the chair back, making sure the hard sole of his shoe presses down on Collins’ groin. He groans with pain. Harry then leans down, his hands on Collins’ knees. Collins screams. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I still had the knife in my hand.” 

“You’re a fucking monster.”

“I’m a monster? Oh no, Mr. Collins, far from it. I make monsters like you look like boy scouts.” Harry punches him and his head whips back. “I only take one life to save another. And taking yours would be one of my greatest pleasures. As we speak my husband is gathering as much intel as he can before we burn this disgusting pile of bricks to the ground. I have technology on my person that is hacking into your computer, your mobile, and any other technology present in this room.” Another punch, this time to the throat. Collins coughs and gasps for breath. “If you are a religious man, Mr. Collins, you should start saying your prayers.” Harry pulls his foot down and stands up for a moment. He shakes himself and Merlin can tell he’s adjusting his jacket, straightening his tie. Peacock. Harry then taps the heels of his shoes together, puts his foot back up, and digs the toe right into Collins’ genitals. Collins screams again as the poison blade enters what is likely his bollocks. “Goodbye, Mr. Collins.”

$$$$$$$$$$  
Merlin gets a brief glimpse of the man’s skin turning green before Harry whirls around and strides out of the office. “Well done, Harry. I couldn’t have wished for anything more, other than my own hands around the man’s neck.”

“How is Eggsy?” Harry demands.

“Percival is still with him,” Merlin says. He can see the feed through both Percival and Lancelot’s glasses. Eggsy has still not come into consciousness, but they’ve both draped their coats over his upper body and Lancelot is rubbing his legs.

Harry starts running and makes it back to the room in record time. The door is now open, with three agents standing outside and another waiting just inside the door. Harry all but falls to his knees next to Eggsy. “Eggsy,” Harry whispers.

“Agents, fall back into the corridor,” Merlin barks. The door closes and Harry, Percival, and Lancelot are alone with Eggsy.

“Eggsy, darling boy…wake up, dearest,” Harry begs. Merlin feels a twist in his stomach and his hands itch to touch their boy’s hair, to gently caress the bruised jaw. “Please, darling, for me?”

Eggsy whimpers and shivers a bit, eyes slowly opening. Merlin gasps. The eyes aren’t the laughing sparkling green he loves, but a dull flat color, barely lucid, unable to focus. “Harry?”

“Yes…yes, darling, it’s me.” Harry clears his throat but Merlin can hear the tears just under the surface.

“But you ain’t here. I’m dreaming. You said you don’t want me, you don’t care about me…you ain’t never gonna come. She said so. She…she said you leave agents to die.”

Merlin desperately wishes they could kill the bitch all over again. “No, Eggsy, I am here. This is real. I’m here and Lancelot and Percival. And I do care about you so very much.” Harry gently strokes his face. “Look at me, dear boy.”

Eggsy turns and studies Harry’s face, and Merlin sighs as some of the clarity returns to his eyes. “I’m sorry, Harry. So sorry.”

“Eggsy…”

“They took the clothes, tore ‘em up. And my chain.” Eggsy starts to cry. “They took my gold chain.”

“Stop, Eggsy, hush. We will buy you twenty gold chains and a wardrobe full of new clothes. It’s fine. We’re going to sit you up now, all right?” Harry tells him. Eggsy nods weakly. Percival helps Harry slowly set the chair back up on two feet.

“Eggsy, we’re going to untie you now. It’s probably going to hurt due to the blood rushing back into your extremities,” Percival tells him.

“Hi, Percival,” Eggsy says drowsily. “Roxy…you’re here.”

“I am, Eggsy. I missed talking to you, figured I’d come see what you were up to,” she says with a warm smile.

“OH,” Eggsy says. He stares at Harry in shock. “Harry, you said…we…I mean, Galahad, sir…”

“It’s all right, darling. They know.” Eggsy’s eyes widen. “But we’ll talk about that later.”

“Oh, FUCK!” Eggsy yells as Percival unties his feet and starts stretching out his legs.

“Now, focus on me as Percival unties your arms,” Harry tells him.

“Is…is Merlin here?” Eggsy asks hopefully, and the tone of his voice goes straight to Merlin’s icy heart. 

“He’s not, Eggsy. He is back at HQ. He got us here, helped us find you.” 

“Here.” Lancelot removes her earpiece and puts it into Eggsy’s ear.

“Merlin?”

“Hello, lad,” Merlin manages.

“Merlin, I’m so sorry. I’m…I’m sorry you had to come and get me again,” Eggsy says, starting to cry once more.

“Nae, lad, dinnae apologize. Ye were brave and strong and we are so proud of ye,” Merlin promises. He winces as Eggsy yells again. Percival brings his arms forward and starts to gently massage them. “I will see ye back at HQ, I promise.” Merlin listens for a moment. “Percival, Galahad, the helicopter is in place, coordinates sent. When ye feel he is ready, ye should move out.”

“I’ve found a small locker room, Merlin. I believe there are trousers here that might fit Eggsy,” Bors informs Merlin.

“Excellent. Bring them immediately.”

Percival continues to work on Eggsy and they have him standing up and leaning on Harry when Bors arrives with a pair of sweatpants. “Quite the look you have going there, boy,” Bors says with a laugh. Eggsy is standing in his own pants and Percival’s jacket. 

“Trying to start a trend,” Eggsy says with a weak laugh. They get him into the sweatpants and Harry immediately swings him up into a bridal carry. “Harry, no. I…I messed myself, front and a bit in the back. They wouldn’t let me up to…I’m rank.”

“You’re perfect, darling boy. Stop fussing and let us look after you. We’ll have you back to HQ before you know it, and then you can clean up in a nice hot bath,” Harry whispers. Eggsy wraps his arms around Harry’s neck as Harry hurries out of the room.

“Bors?” Merlin says as everyone starts to exit the building.

“Yes, Merlin?”

“I need you to burn it all down.”

“I beg your pardon?” Bors actually stops walking.

“Ye heard me. Everything. All of it. To the fucking ground.”

“YES SIR, Merlin!”

Eggsy passes out again as Harry carries him to a waiting van. Harry is grateful, as it makes it easier to get him up and onto the pallet in the back. Harry doesn’t want to let him go, doesn’t want to release him, but it is best that Percival get as much information as he can so the doctors at HQ can be better prepared. Merlin has gone silent in Harry’s ear but he knows his husband is watching. He’s directing everything else with the mission, but his eyes will not leave their boy. Harry simply holds Eggsy’s hand as Percival checks him over.

“Well, he’s definitely dehydrated,” Percival says finally, leaning back on his knees a bit. “I wouldn’t rule out a bit of hypothermia, and of course there are injuries. He’s only been gone a few days, but I have the feeling they didn’t give him much by the way of sustenance. We’ll let the doctors figure all that out. For now he’s stable.”

“Thank you, Percival, Harry murmurs. The driver is another agent he doesn’t know well, and he can’t say more without giving too much away.

“You’re quite welcome, Galahad. I believe our young friend will pull through.” Percival pats Eggsy’s leg and his eyes are sympathetic as they look over at Harry.

They quickly reach the open area with the helipad and get Eggsy strapped onto a gurney. Harry climbs in with him, as does Percival. “Thank you for everything, Lancelot,” Harry says just before the door closes. She nods, bites her bottom lip, and waves as the helicopter takes off.

Everything seems to happen so quickly after that. The helicopter lands at HQ, medical staff are standing by, and they whisk Eggsy off almost before Harry knows what’s happening. He takes a deep breath and straightens his shoulders. There is only one place in this entire building where he can let go and be himself, and he needs to keep up the façade until he gets there.

Harry knocks on Merlin’s door before entering the office. “Merlin.”

“Galahad.” Merlin stands and pushes a button to lock the door. He removes his earpiece and even his glasses before striding over to Harry.

Harry removes his own glasses and sends them clattering onto the desk. “Hamish,” he whispers, and then the strong arms are around him.

“Ye did it, Harry. Ye brought him home. Ye rescued our boy. Thank God.” Merlin’s arms are like steel as they hold him close.

“YOU did it. You tracked him and found him and…” Harry buries his face in the familiar smell of his husband.

“We did it together.” Merlin fists his hand in Harry’s hair and gives him a fierce kiss. “Normally I would be pinning ye down and tearing your clothes off right about now. Ye were magnificent, truly spectacular.”

“My heart is still thumping in my chest…the adrenaline has me quite on edge,” Harry admits. “But right now sex is actually the last thing on my mind.”

“Aye,” Merlin murmurs, although he kisses him again. “I saw ye through Lancelot’s glasses…saw ye carrying our boy to safety. Christ, ye have never looked so beautiful. Like some sort of avenging angel.”

“And you call me dramatic,” Harry says with a grin. He kisses Merlin once again and then simply hugs him.

“I think ye should shower and change,” Merlin suggests. “Come back here and we will wait for word from medical.”

“But…”

“We cannae hover down there, Harry. The staff knows to inform me of improvement.”

“Yes, Hamish.” Harry tilts Merlin’s head down and kisses the smooth bald pate. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Harry.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh look...Merlin's managed to get his head out of his arse all by himself.

Eggsy slowly struggles toward consciousness, fighting against the heavy weight on his mind and his body. He opens his eyes and looks around the room. This isn’t right. This isn’t where they’ve been keeping him. The weight presses against him and he fights it. Something is sticking in his hand and he groans. Fuck. They’re drugging him now.

“Eggsy…Eggsy, stop,” a familiar female voice says. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

Eggsy closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens them again. Roxy is smiling down at him. “R-Roxy?”

“Yes, it’s me. Hello.”

“Hey.” Eggsy lifts his head as much as he can.

“Wait.” She pushes something and the top of his body starts a slow ascent. He takes the opportunity to study his surroundings. He’s in some sort of hospital room and the weight on his body is a pile of blankets. An IV goes from his hand to a bag hanging above his head, and a few monitors beep and whir at his side. “Is that better?”

“Yeah, thanks. Where am I?”

“HQ,” she informs him. 

“So I…I didn’t dream it.” He feels his chin tremble. “He saved me? Harry…I mean, Galahad saved me?”

“Well, Percival and I helped,” she says with a wink. “But yes.”

“Oh, thank fuck.” Eggsy’s embarrassed by the way he starts sobbing. He brings his hands up to cover his face.

“Oh, Eggsy.” She scoots herself onto the bed as best she can, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head. He buries himself in her familiar warmth, although she’s not the person he wants to be holding him.

“Where is he?” Eggsy mumbles into her shoulder.

“I’m assuming he’s getting cleaned up and reporting to Merlin. Things got a little…messy.”

“I bet they did,” Eggsy mutters.

“He was like a madman,” Roxy says, pulling away a bit. “I’ve never seen someone so focused, so cold. It was like nothing mattered…nothing was getting in the way of Galahad and the people who hurt you.”

“Well, he’s a good bloke, and…”

“No,” Roxy interrupts. “He’s the man who loves you.”

Eggsy looks up at her. This sounds familiar, Harry saying something about Roxy and Percival knowing what was going on. “They…you…”

“Yes, I figured it out,” she says quietly. “And I don’t care, unless they hurt you. If either of them ever hurt you, what Harry did today will be nothing compared to what I’ll do to them.”

“Fuck,” Eggsy whispers. He settles himself against her and closes his eyes again. “What happened?”

“I don’t know all of it, of course, but Harry and Merlin figured out you were taken by someone involved with a past mission. They were able to track you down and we came to rescue you. You were suffering from hypothermia, of course, as well as dehydration. You passed out when Harry was carrying you out…”

“Harry carried me out?”

“Once you got here I know they cleaned you up and did another exam. No broken bones and apparently no internal damage. Just bruises and cuts…you’ll find some stitches in your arm and leg.”

“Right.” Eggsy slowly lays back down. “I’m tired.”

“I’m sure you are,” she says with a warm smile. “I didn’t want you to wake up alone so I’ve been sitting here with you.”

“You’re a good mate.” Eggsy brings her hand to his mouth and kisses it. “Thank you for everything you did to find me. Thank Percival, too.”

“I’m sure he’ll be by to talk to you later,” she replies. 

The door opens and Eggsy almost starts to cry again as Harry steps into the room. “Harry,” Eggsy whispers.

“I’ll just go distract the staff for a bit before letting them know you’re awake,” Roxy says with a smile. She gives him one more kiss to the forehead and goes toward the door. “Galahad, sir.”

“Lancelot,” Harry murmurs, his eyes burning a hole through Eggsy. He waits until she’s out the door before almost falling onto the bed. “Eggsy. Oh my sweet boy.”

“Harry.” Eggsy happily allows Harry to carefully pull him up into an embrace. “Fuck, Harry, it’s so good to see you. I was so fucking scared, thought I was never gonna see you again.”

“Precious boy.” Harry holds him firmly yet tenderly, hand rubbing up and down Eggsy’s back. He kisses the top of his head, each eyelid, each cheek, his nose, his chin, and then finally his lips. “I’m so very sorry. I’m sorry this happened to you, it was all my fault. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Harry!” Eggsy says reproachfully. “This ain’t your fault.”

“Oh, but it is,” Harry insists, cradling Eggsy’s face in his hand. “It’s because of me that they took you. I killed someone very high up in their organization, and they took you to get to me.”

“No, Harry,” Eggsy says slowly. “I don’t think they did. They took me cuz I was there. They figured I was weak, just a clerk who wouldn’t care about protecting no one. They was trying to figure out Henry Devere’s connection to Kingsman, trying to find out what Kingsman actually is. They didn’t make a direct connection from me to you until they went in my wallet, looked up my address, and saw that Henry Devere owned the house I live in. Showed me your picture, kept asking me about Henry Devere, and I could honestly say I had no clue who that was.”

“So you…they hurt you because of me.”

“No, they hurt me because I wouldn’t tell them I knew who you were.”

“Eggsy.” Harry makes a strange wounded sound and pulls him closer. “We were so worried. You didn’t show up for dinner, and then your bed wasn’t slept in…”

“Is Merlin angry?” Eggsy asks softly. He cannot imagine what Merlin must think. Not only did he have to swoop in and save the day yet again, but he had to use Kingsman resources to do it.

“Of course not!” Harry exclaims. “My dear boy, he has been just as frantic as I. We were pulling our hair out…at least I was. We reviewed camera footage around the shop over and over until I finally realized you weren’t wearing the oxfords I bought you.”

“What did that have to do with anything?” Eggsy asks absently, closing his eyes and inhaling the beautiful familiar scent of Harry that meant home.

“Merlin has trackers in all over your clothing and every pair of shoes, darling,” Harry tells him. Eggsy is honestly not surprised. “But he didn’t have a chance to do it to the new things I bought you. We thought we had no way to find you…and then realized you were wearing your own trainers.”

“With trackers,” Eggsy whispers. “Fuck, my men are brilliant.”

“Not really,” Harry admits. “It took multiple viewings of the footage before we realized it.”

“My men are mostly brilliant,” Eggsy corrects and Harry gives him a shaky smile. “You okay, Harry?”

“I am now.” Harry gently leans his forehead against Eggsy’s. “My sweet boy, you have no clue how terrified we were at the thought of losing you forever.”

“Roxy said you pretty much went through that place like a bat outta hell.”

“I did. They hurt you. They paid for it,” Harry says simply.

Eggsy rests quietly in Harry’s arms for a moment, smiling a bit when he feels Harry’s hands constantly moving over him as if to confirm he’s really there. “Roxy said…she knows. About us, I mean. And you said that, right?”

“I did. She and Percival both figured it out.”

“What…what do you think about that?” Eggsy asks fearfully.

“Let’s not worry about that right now, darling, but I promise we aren’t upset by it,” Harry assures him. “But I better move away, because I’m sure the medical staff will be barging in at any minute to check on you.” He slides onto the chair by the bed, pulls it as close as he can, and takes Eggsy’s hand in his. “I cannot look at you enough, my dear boy.”

“Harry,” Eggsy says, blushing, but he understands. He can’t look at Harry enough, either. The only thing that he needs right now to make life perfect is probably sitting behind a desk in his office.

Moments later a doctor and two nurses come bustling into the room. “Hello, Eggsy. I’m Dr. Liddell and this is Pamela and Eric.”

“Hi,” Eggsy says shyly.

“I’m glad to see you awake and lucid…you weren’t quite in the same state the first time I saw you,” the doctor says with a grin. “But you cleaned up quite nicely.”

Eggsy blushes a deep red, remembering just how they’d brought him in. A pair of sweatpants, Percival’s coat, and his own pants stained and stinking of his own urine and excrement. “I…”

“No need to respond, young man. You’ve been through quite the ordeal and you’re going to tire out quite easily,” the doctor informs him. “You were dehydrated, so we’re feeding you nutrients and fluids through the IV. Tomorrow we should be able to start you on broth and water. Are you feeling warm?”

“Toasty warm,” Eggsy says.

“Good. I think we can remove some of the blankets now,” the doctor informs the nurses, who nod. “We’re going to keep you here for a few days, just to watch over you a bit. Someone from psychiatry will be stopping in to speak with you as well.”

“Okay,” Eggsy mumbles, looking down at his hands.

They finish their examination, fluff up his pillows, change his blankets, and leave the room. Harry smiles at him encouragingly. “Do you want me to leave so you can rest?”

“No,” Eggsy says quickly. “Unless you gotta go do something.”

“I have nothing pressing, although I believe Merlin wants to speak to me again.”

“Is…is he gonna come?” Eggsy asks hopefully.

“He’s busy tying up the loose ends with the mission but I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as he can,” Harry says encouragingly. “Not that we ever wanted you to suffer in the name of Kingsman, but we were able to gather a great deal of information that will assist in bringing down the organization.”

“Good,” Eggsy says. “Could…could you hold me again, Harry?”

“Of course, my boy.” Harry wiggles himself onto the bed as best he can, and Eggsy falls asleep almost as soon as his body is pressed up against Harry’s.

“Harry, do ye feel ye can talk right now?” Merlin asks, pulling up the feed through Harry’s glasses. He can’t get enough of their boy, and every camera in the room is zoomed in as far as it can. 

“I believe so, he’s quite exhausted,” Harry whispers, and Merlin hears the fondness in his tone.

“What do you think?”

“I think he’s the bravest young man I’ve ever met,” Harry murmurs. “He protected me, Hamish. They were trying to get information on me…well, on Henry Devere…and he didn’t say a word.”

“Our boy is the best,” Merlin agrees. “I heard most of what he said, but I will need ye and Percival to ask him a few more questions when he wakes again.”

“Why don’t you just come do it?”

“I’m busy,” Merlin says evasively. “There some loose ends regarding Collins and…”

“Oh, bollocks,” Harry says almost angrily and Eggsy stirs in his sleep. “You’re feeling…something. You always act like a stubborn idiot when you have feelings.”

“I’m busy.”

“Hamish, he has asked for you. Twice. What is he going to think when you’re not here?”

“That I’m a busy man trying to bring down the rest of Collins’ evil empire?”

“Figure yourself out,” Harry snaps and actually terminates the call.

“Bastard,” Merlin murmurs.

He continues to watch Eggsy sleep, monitoring the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes, taking inventory of each and every bruise, stitch and cut. Collins is dead, Dorothy Allison is dead, but there are so many other parts of the man’s organization that need taken down. Merlin is still wading through all the intel Harry’s tech brought in, and he knows he has hours ahead of work ahead of him.

He removes his glasses and rubs at his forehead. Eggsy asked for him, true, but he won’t notice if he’s not there. Merlin knows Roxy is eager to get back in and spend time with him, and even Percival asked to be notified of when he was ready to receive visitors. Word quickly spread through HQ about the events of the past few days (if you want a secret kept, don’t tell a spy), and Richard had messaged Merlin as well, asking to be put on Eggsy’s visitor list if he had one.

Eggsy doesn’t need to see Merlin, doesn’t need to see the man who failed him. The man who thought Eggsy RAN AWAY. The man whose job it is to notice EVERYTHING…and yet it took Harry to pick out the white trainers. Eggsy doesn’t need to see how completely terrified Merlin was, and still is. Merlin’s never felt this way before, so absolutely petrified, shaken down to the depths of his very soul. Merlin is not only Eggsy’s master in the bedroom, but his someone that Eggsy relies on to be strong, to keep him safe. And Merlin failed at both those things. He’s afraid that if he goes in that room and touches Eggsy, he won’t want to let go. He’ll break down, maybe even cry. And no one needs to see that.

He does at least get up to use the loo, order something to eat, and do some quick calisthenics while Eggsy naps. He doesn’t need to watch that. He also doesn’t need to hear Harry murmuring sweet nothings against their boy’s hair. 

Eventually Percival shows up, Harry regretfully wakes Eggsy, and the nurses do a quick check on vitals and dressings before Percival takes a seat by the bed. “I’m glad to see you doing so well, Eggsy,” Percival tells him.

“Thank you for everything, Percival,” Eggsy says, looking a bit alarmed as Harry all but crawls back into bed with him.

“It’s fine,” Percival says gently. “I understand. And I’m sure it will make you feel better right now to have Harry as close to you as possible.”

“Yeah,” Eggsy sighs, looking up at Harry adoringly.

“We’d like to just ask you a few questions about what happened, while it’s all fresh in your mind,” Percival says. “We’d like to gather all information possible about Mr. Collins and his organization.”

“Is Merlin gonna come?” Eggsy asks Harry. “He should hear this, right?”

“I’m sure he’s listening,” Harry says, glaring in the direction of one of the cameras. “He’ll be recording this as well.”

“Oh,” Eggsy says sadly. “Are you sure you should be sitting here, then? If he’s recording it…”

“I’m sure Merlin will edit it as he sees fit,” Percival replies. “Now…why don’t you explain what happened when you left the shop?”

“Did everything like I always do, except I changed outta my shoes just before I left, because the new ones was pinching something fierce.” Eggsy gives Harry an apologetic look. “Went walking down the street and this bloke asked if I knew the time. Reached for my mobile and I think they darted me with something. Stumbled a bit, bloke started pushing me into a car, and then I woke up in that room.” Eggsy shivers and Harry instinctively pulls him closer.

Percival asks him for details about the man who stopped him on the pavement but Eggsy can’t come up with anything important. “And when you woke up?”

“Was tied to that chair. They start asking me questions about Kingsman and what it really is, and then they showed me a picture of Harry and said his name was Henry Devere. Kept after me about it, said he owned the house I live in. And I kept not telling them and they kept not liking that, and…” Eggsy shrugs. His face goes a bit pale and Merlin grips the edge of his desk. He wishes it was possible to kill someone more than once.

Percival asks questions about Collins, about Dorothy Allison, but it soon becomes apparent that they’d given Eggsy about as much information as he’d given them. “Thank you, Eggsy. I’m sure that wasn’t easy.”

“Weren’t too bad…having you here helped,” Eggsy says, looking up at Harry. “And you was real nice, Percival.”

“I have my moments,” he replies with a wink. “Now, your job will be to get rest and do what the doctors tell you, Eggsy.”

“Yes, Percival,” Eggsy says obediently and Merlin frowns. That voice, that tone, that is for him. Not for Percival. “Thanks again for everything.”

“If you don’t mind, I might pop in and see you again before you go home,” Percival says.

“That’d be aces. Thanks.” Eggsy gives him a tired smile.

“I’ll leave you to your…” Percival raises his eyebrows. “I’m afraid I don’t know the proper terminology. Partner doesn’t seem to apply, boyfriend sounds ridiculous, and lover…”

“Paramour,” Harry says with a grin.

“Yeah. I like that. Like a fancy novel or sommat. Paramour.” Eggsy chuckles a bit.

“Good night.” Percival smiles at them and leaves.

Harry and Eggsy chat a bit before Harry says, “I should go…I must return to the house.”

“Do you have to?” Eggsy looks absolutely miserable.

“I don’t want to, but I should. I need to change clothes, take a real shower, check on JB. He’s next door, of course.”

“Give him a hug for me, yeah? Bet he’s missing me something fierce.”

“We all missed you something fierce, darling.”

“Merlin apparently didn’t,” Eggsy says, and Merlin almost falls off his chair. “He ain’t even been here to see me, Harry. I know I ain’t as important as Kingsman and figuring out how to end everything Collins has been doing, but he couldn’t stop in and say hi?” Tears slide down Eggsy’s cheeks. “Told you he was mad at me. He thinks I’m nothing but trouble…he’s mad. He don’t…”

“Quiet. Don’t get yourself worked up, my boy.” Harry holds him tight and sends a furious glare at the camera. “I’m sure he’ll be along. He knows I’m here.”

“Yeah.” 

Harry gives Eggsy a tender kiss, stands up, and gently tucks him in. “I’ll be back in a few hours, all right? Just get some rest, dearest.”

“Okay.” Eggsy yawns. “Can’t keep my eyes open.”

“You’ve been through a lot.” Harry tenderly strokes his forehead. “I love you.”

“Love you, Harry.”

Harry waits until he is halfway down the corridor before snapping, “Hamish, I swear by all that I hold dear, if you don’t…”

“I’m busy,” Merlin growls back, terminating the connection.

He stares at his monitors for a long time, watching Eggsy as he sleeps. He finally forces himself to get up and head down to Medical. He can watch his lad sleep in person, sit by his bed, just be close to him. The corridors are quiet and he has almost no trouble slipping into Eggsy’s room unnoticed. Merlin takes a seat by the bed and just stares at his boy, drinking him in. The handsome face is bruised and there are deep gashes on his cheeks, but otherwise he looks good. 

Merlin never thought he could feel this way about someone. It’s so different than what he feels for Harry. Harry is another half to his soul, almost a mirror image in so many ways. They fit together perfectly, as if they were made from the same mold. Before Harry, Merlin felt alone and unwanted, unique in the worst way. But Eggsy…Eggsy skipped Merlin’s soul and went right to his heart, carving away at the cold stone there until he made a perfect Eggsy-shaped niche. Merlin both loves and hates it. 

Eggsy suddenly starts twitching a bit, whimpering in his sleep and scratching at the sheets. “No,” he mutters. “I don’t know nothing.” He buries his face in the pillow. “Please…Harry, Merlin…don’t leave me. Come for me…please…don’t…” A tear slowly slides down his cheek. “Come back,” he whispers. “Don’t leave me alone.”

Merlin pushes his self-pity and ridiculousness aside without a second thought. He sits on the edge of the bed, taking Eggsy’s hand and kissing it. “Lad, dinnae cry, lad…I’m here. You’re safe.”

“Don’t leave me,” Eggsy mumbles.

“Not leaving ye, sweet boy. We would never leave ye, we will always be there.” Merlin leans forward and kisses his forehead. “Wake up, pet.”

“Merlin,” Eggsy whimpers and his eyes slowly open. “M-Merlin?”

“Aye, my lad.” Merlin smiles down at him.

“Merlin.” Eggsy surges up quicker than Merlin thinks is probably good for him. He throws his arms around Merlin and squeezes. “Merlin.”

“My pet.” Merlin buries his face in Eggsy’s hair and inhales. 

“So happy to see you...was so scared. Thought you was mad at me, that you…”

“Nae, lad. Never. Well, not never,” he corrects himself, pulling back and kissing Eggsy’s nose. “But never that mad.”

“I made you have to rescue me. AGAIN. With Kingsman agents,” Eggsy moans, burying his face in Merlin’s chest.

“Eggsy.” Merlin pulls back and tilts Eggsy’s head up. “That was nae your fault. Ye did NOTHING wrong, do ye hear me?” Merlin says in his Master voice. Eggsy slowly nods. “Ye were hurt. Ye were frightened. Ye were starved and mistreated…because of us. YOU are the one that should be angry.”

“Weren’t your fault,” Eggsy insists. “They didn’t even take me cuz of you. They took me cuz I was working in the shop.”

“We didn’t come for you quickly enough,” Merlin protests. “Harry felt there was something wrong when ye dinnae show for dinner, but I…I thought ye left us.” Now it’s Merlin who bows his head.

“Left you?” Eggsy whispers.

“Aye. I figured ye hit your breaking point, had enough of my grumpy ranting and Harry’s dramatic strops.”

“Merlin, if that was a problem I probably woulda been gone after the first, like, six months,” Eggsy tells him. “And I’d never leave you like that, just disappear into thin air.”

“I know,” Merlin sighs. “But I could nae allow myself to think that something happened to ye. And so I didn’t act as quickly as I should have. I’m so sorry, my sweet Eggsy.”

“But you DID act, and you found me,” Eggsy says, burying himself in Merlin’s arms again. “Harry did the leg work but I know you was his eyes and his brain the whole time.”

“I’m his brain most of the time,” Merlin can’t help saying, and Eggsy lets out a small giggle.

“She…she said that organizations like Kingsman don’t come for people,” Eggsy whispers. “She said they don’t even come for agents, so they’d never come for someone like me. Figured she was probably right.”

“She was a heartless stupid bitch who will be getting what she deserves in hell,” Merlin growls. He cups Eggsy’s head in both his hands, gently stroking his thumbs over the cuts on the soft cheeks. “We will always, ALWAYS, come for ye, Eggsy Unwin. Harry and I will come for ye if it takes our last breaths to do so. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Master,” Eggsy says, looking up at him in awe. Merlin blinks hard but is unable to stop the rogue tear that slides down his cheek. Eggsy smiles and kisses the tear before wiping at Merlin’s face. “Dry in here.”

“Aye,” Merlin says. Eggsy smiles, says nothing more, and simply allows Merlin to cradle him in his arms until he falls asleep again.


	10. Chapter 10

Eggsy sleeps fitfully that night; his body is exhausted but his mind doesn’t allow him to sleep for long. Every time he wakes up he feels the chair against his bare back and legs, the bindings at his ankles and wrists. The first time he wakes up Harry and Merlin are both by the side of the bed, the only light in the room coming from Merlin’s tablet. “It’s dark!” Eggsy shouts, springing from slumber and sitting upright. “Why is it dark?”

“Darling, we turned off the lights so you could sleep,” Harry says, placing a hand on his leg.

“Let me go!” Eggsy yells, flinging his arms. At the last moment he realizes they’re not tied down, and although he tries to pull back his fingers catch the side of Harry’s face. “I’m so sorry!” Eggsy gasps.

“It’s fine, my boy. Perfectly fine,” Harry coos as Merlin jumps up to turn on the lights. 

“Can we…could you leave the light on?” Eggsy asks as Harry gets him a drink of water. “Thought I hated it, but…”

“Of course.” 

Eggsy lays back down and tries to calm his fluttering heart. “I’m sorry…I just…”

“Lad, there will be no need to apologize for anything.” Merlin takes his hand and kisses it. “Ye have been through a lot. It was only a few days, but it was quite intense. Ye may not be feeling right for weeks, perhaps months.”

“Nice to wake up and have you two here,” Eggsy says timidly.

Harry smiles at him. “We are happy to be with you. Now try and go back to sleep, dear boy.”

“Okay.” Eggsy sighs as Merlin kisses his hand and Harry leans in to kiss his forehead.

“We love ye, lad.”

The second time he wakes up it is much worse. He’s crawling from the midst of a nightmare, his mind full of horrible creatures with knives and ice cubes. Eggsy cries in his dream, begging Harry and Merlin to come save him, and when he finally comes to consciousness they’re both seated on the edge of the bed, looking at him with concern and holding his hands. 

“I’m sorry,” Eggsy says automatically.

“Please, Eggsy, don’t apologize.” Harry looks tired and worn, brown eyes full of concern. “Our only worry is that you might open your stitches.”

“We could ask them to give ye something,” Merlin suggests. “I know ye are not a fan of pain medication but…”

“Please,” Eggsy begs. “What if I wake up and punch one of you?”

“We’ll punch ye back,” Merlin replies. 

Eggsy has to laugh at that. “You probably would.” He sighs as he looks up at Merlin. “Sorry I’m so much trouble.”

“Enough of that,” Merlin all but barks. “Ye were born to be trouble and we are quite used to it. This is different and ye cannot help it. Ye have been through so much and it is all our fault.”

“Enough of that,” Eggsy barks back and Merlin blinks at him. “Ain’t your fault, okay?”

“Perhaps we all need to stop apologizing,” Harry says, pressing the button for the nurse. As soon as she hurries in he says, “Eggsy is having difficulty sleeping. Is there a light sedative we could give him, just so he can rest?”

“Of course,” she says immediately. “I’ll be right back.”

“We only want you to feel safe, Eggsy. We will do whatever it takes,” Harry says.

“You two don’t need to sit here all night,” Eggsy points out. “Especially if I’m gonna be out for sure. Not that I don’t want you here,” he adds quickly. “Maybe stay til I’m asleep? You both look like hell.”

“I always look fresh as a daisy,” Harry says proudly and Merlin snorts. Eggsy can’t help but grin. 

“Aye, lad, we can go up to the suite if ye are sure ye dinnae need us,” Merlin says, looking a bit doubtful.

“If it’s real bad I can have them call you, yeah?” Eggsy asks. “If it won’t make people talk. I know Roxy and Percival figured stuff out, but I dunno that everyone at Kingsman needs to know your business.”

“They know better than to gossip about us,” Merlin says. “At least where we can find out about it. And of course ye can call up for us. If we dinnae hear from ye, we will come down in the morning, all right?"

“That sounds good.” 

The nurse returns and adjusts something in an IV, and it isn’t long before Eggsy is feeling drowsy. “Love you both,” he slurs. “Missed you when you was gone.”

“We weren’t the ones gone, my boy,” Harry says with a chuckle. He kisses Eggsy’s forehead and it feels like home.

When Eggsy slowly opens his eyes and focuses on the clock across the room he’s shocked to see he’s slept until almost nine. He’s alone in the room, which actually calms him a bit. He jumps when the nurse comes in. “Hello, I’m Alex. You were sleeping hard…I’ve checked vitals twice and you never budged.”

“Yeah, was pretty knackered,” Eggsy says.

“Shall I help you to the loo?” Alex asks. “Or I can bring a bedpan.”

“Loo, please,” he tells her without hesitating. He has no shame asking for help. Standing up takes a moment, as his body still screams with protest every time he moves more than simply sitting up. She helps him get his bearings and allows him to do most of the work walking across the room. “Thanks.”

“I’ll just wait out here. Call if you feel weak.”

“I will.”

Eggsy relieves himself with a sigh of pleasure before limping over to the sink to wash his hands. He catches sight of himself in the mirror and whimpers a bit. Lovely multi-color bruises frame his cheeks, and the slices from the witch’s rings are neatly mended with stitches. He sighs. He’ll probably have scars now; he wonders idly if Merlin and Harry dig boys with scars. He opens the door and allows Alex to help him into bed and tuck him back in. “I’m going to remove this IVs and then we’ll see about getting you something for breakfast…likely nothing more than some water and gelatin.”

“Sounds aces,” he promises.

He tries to lay still as Alex does her job, but he can’t help but eagerly look around her towards the door when it opens. “Please lay back,” she tells him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Christ, Unwin…if ye needed a few days off, all ye had to do was ask,” a voice says from behind her.

“Richard?” Eggsy says in surprise.

“Aye.” Richard goes around to the other side of the bed and waits for Alex to pack her things and leave the room. He awkwardly shakes Eggsy’s hand and gives his shoulder a squeeze. “How are ye?”

“Been better,” Eggsy says honestly. “It’s great to see you.”

“Not as great as it is to see you, mate.” Richard turns the chair backwards and straddles it. “Was a bit worried, not gonna lie. First Merlin called me asking if ye might have talked about leaving town, and then the word got around about ye being…”

“Kidnapped,” Eggsy says bluntly.

“Aye,” Richard replies quietly. “Contacted Merlin right away, he promised to let me know when ye were safely back…and he did. From what I hear he was working like a madman to find ye, and Galahad…well, he wasn’t much better.”

They look at each other for a moment. “Dogs all right?” Eggsy asks finally.

“Aye…missing ye, of course.”

“Because I’m the best.”

“Because ye spoil them,” Richard says with a grin. 

Eggsy looks at Richard for a moment. He’s become one of his best mates, almost as good as Jamal or Ryan. Although he hasn’t really discussed the idea of telling people with Harry and Merlin, their reaction to Roxy and Percival’s knowledge of the situation seemed promising. And Eggsy wants to be the one to tell someone. He wants to finally be able to talk with someone close to him about the amazing love he has in his life. “I got something to talk to you about, Richard.”

“Sure.” Richard looks a little apprehensive, but he gives Eggsy an encouraging smile. 

“You know how we always joke around about me dating, and how I need to find someone?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I ain’t never found someone because I already did.” Richard blinks at him. “I ain’t been single for years. Been in a…committed relationship.”

“What?” Richard gapes at him. “Why didn’t you ever say anything? You know I am completely supportive of your sexual preference.”

“I do…you’re the best. But this is more than that. I…I’m in love with someone.”

“Okay…”

“And I’m in love with his husband as well.” Richard’s eye widen. “And they’re both in love with me. As in we’re…dunno the official word for it, but they’re married and I’m like their boyfriend or whatever? Per…someone called me their paramour, like the sound of that.” Eggsy smiles at the memory. “But it ain’t just some sex thing, like all kinky or whatever. It’s a relationship, with commitment and feelings and all that. Love. We love each other. For some reason they took a look at me and decided their lives would be better with me around…and I know my life is better because of them.”

“Well…wow. Fuck,” Richard says finally and Eggsy has to smile a bit. “Not quite what I expected. Years you say?” 

Eggsy nods. “Yeah. Started out just sorta renting a room in their house and then, yeah.”

“Renting a…” Richard practically chokes on his own spit. “Ye aren’t saying…Galahad and Merlin?”

As if on cue someone knocks at the door. Harry pokes his head in. “Ah, you’re up. And you have a visitor. Lovely. Good morning, Richard.”

“Hey, Harry.” Eggsy can’t keep the smile off his face, especially when he sees a stern face looming behind Harry.

“Go in, Harry, he’s not contagious,” Merlin growls. “Good morning, Richard.”

“Merlin, sir,” Richard says, jumping to his feet. “Please, take my seat.”

“Not necessary, lad, sit down.” Merlin waves a hand at him. “I’m on my arse all day, do me a bit of good to stand a bit.”

Harry gracefully arranges himself in the other chair. “How are you feeling today, Eggsy?”

“Good.”

“You slept all right?” Harry’s eyes are full of concern.

“Great. Don’t like sleeping with a medicinal aid, but it helped.” Eggsy looks at Richard and blushes a bit. “Had some nightmares last night.”

“Bet you did…after what you went through? Not even surprised,” Richard says easily.

“Aye, Richard, that is what we were trying to tell him.”

“Nurse just took all the junk out.” Eggsy holds up his now unencumbered hand. “Gonna have a full English.”

“You must certainly are NOT!” Merlin thunders. “What are they thinking? I’m going to go…”

“Merlin, bruv, relax, I’m kidding. I’m getting water and gelatin.” Eggsy snickers. Merlin crosses his arms over his chest and glares at him.

“I believe Dr. Porter will be coming to speak to you sometime today,” Harry informs him. Eggsy gives him a questioning look. “She is one of the Kingsman therapists.”

“But that ain’t who you saw.”

“No…she is on staff here in the Medical unit. She is who the agents see when they return from missions. Dr. Liddell has requested that she speak to you before your discharge. I think it’s wise.”

“Oh. Cuz you think…”

Harry reaches out to take his hand and remembers himself just in time. “Because I think you’ve been through a lot and should talk to someone who can help you wrestle with it…you shouldn’t have to do it alone.”

“But I ain’t alone.” Eggsy smiles up at him, takes his hand and kisses it. Harry’s eyes widen and Merlin clears his throat. “It’s okay. Was just telling Richard here that I found two amazing fit older gents stupid enough to let me hang around them all the time.”

“Well, I don’t know Galahad that well, but I’ve always thought Merlin quite brilliant,” Richard says. “However, if they’ve willingly, without someone paying them, decided to take you on, well…I may rethink my opinion,” Richard says with a sly grin.

“Oi, fuck off,” Eggsy snaps.

“He is a trial,” Merlin agrees. “But the positive far outweighs the negative.” There’s a warmth to his tone that makes Eggsy blush.

“I gotta get to work, but I wanted to stop in and check on ye.” Richard stands. “Good to see you, mate.”

“Yeah, you too…hopefully I won’t be here much longer, and I’m sure certain people won’t exactly be ready for me to come back to work yet.” Eggsy looks at Harry and Merlin, who glare at him. “So maybe you could come over for dinner some night.”

“Eggsy is an amazing cook,” Harry informs Richard. “We’d love to have you.”

“Sounds good, we’ll work it out.” Richard squeezes his leg. “Galahad, sir…Merlin.”

“Have a good day, lad,” Merlin says. Harry nods at him as well and Richard leaves. Merlin takes Richard’s vacated seat. “Well, pet, ye told someone.”

“I did.” Eggsy’s surprised at how drained he feels. “Know he’s a good person, didn’t think he’d judge…and he didn’t.”

“And how do you feel?” Harry asks.

“Aces,” Eggsy whispers. “Get to talk to someone about how great you two are.”

“Or complain to someone about how annoying we are,” Harry says with a grin.

Nurse Alex returns with a tray. “Oh, good morning, Galahad, Merlin.”

“We were just checking in on our young friend here,” Harry says, moving aside so she can set up the tray.

“Good. Then you can make sure he takes his time eating this.”

Eggsy stares down at the cup of water and bowl of colorless gelatin. “Yeah, thank goodness they’re here, was gonna gobble this right up,” he says wryly.

“If you eat too much too quickly, your body will rebel,” she informs him sternly. “Your digestive system went without food and water for a few days and adjusted accordingly. Now it needs a few days to readjust.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Eggsy says, hanging his head a bit.

“Good boy.” She gives him a wink and leaves the room again.

“I hope ye realize that we will make sure ye follow the doctor’s orders to the letter, lad,” Merlin says, his voice almost a growl. “Ye will be doing absolutely nothing that might cause ye to reinjure yourself.”

“Well, I hope YOU realize that you ain’t gonna put me in bubble wrap and lock me in the house,” Eggsy snaps back. Harry clears his throat. “You’re gonna put me in figurative bubble wrap and lock me in the house, ain’t you?”

“We will let you out…eventually.” Harry gives him an innocent look. “We just want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

“I’m sensing Popemobile levels of protection here, ain’t I?” Eggsy asks with a sigh.

“Eat your gelatin, pet, and leave the protection to us,” Merlin says with a grim smile.

Eggsy makes a big deal of rolling his eyes, but for the first time in days, he starts to relax.


	11. Chapter 11

“Hello, Eggsy.”

“Hey, Pamela.” Eggsy eagerly sits up in his bed. It’s been a terribly boring morning. They’ve given him a few magazines and books but nothing that’s kept his interest. He no longer has a mobile, of course, and although he’s requested a tablet nothing’s been provided. “How are you?”

“Good. I need to ask you the same thing.” She starts taking his vitals, smiling down at him as she presses her fingers to his pulse point.

He waits until she nods before talking again. “Feeling pretty good, thanks. Still worn out and all…not sleeping much.”

“I understand,” she says with a warm smile. 

“I understand these rooms aren’t meant for people to be staying here forever, but it’s boring as hell,” he complains.

“Well, then, I suppose it’s good I have a little gift for you from Merlin in my pocket.” She pats the pocket of her smock and winks at him.

“A gift from Merlin?” Eggsy literally feels his ears perk up.

“Yes. Apparently your Kingsman-issue mobile phone was broken, so…” She holds out a new mobile.

“YES, Pamela!” Eggsy crows. He cradles it lovingly and then sighs. His previous mobile was broken? That means they found it and even Merlin couldn’t repair it. All those pictures of Daisy, and recipes he’d saved, and…

“He said to tell you everything was backed up on the Kingsman servers and you’ll find it on here.” She taps the phone. “He also said it has, quote, all the bells and whistles from the first phone?”

She looks confused but Eggsy knows what it means. The special alarm, set to recognize his fingerprint alone, is in place. “I get you. Thanks, Pamela, thanks a lot. Know it ain’t your job to be his courier or whatever.”

“You are a nice person, Eggsy. I have no problem being your delivery girl.” She grins at him. “Now how about a trip to the loo and perhaps a bit of a wash down?”

“You sound WAY too excited about that, mate.” Eggsy slowly gets himself out of bed. He can make it to the loo alone, and he had done just that earlier in the day, but it’s always nice to have someone around just in case. He’s still feeling weak.

“I just so happen to have a very nice boyfriend, so you’re safe with me,” she vows, although it’s obvious she knows he was joking. 

Eggsy limps over to the loo and stares in surprise. “Are those my clothes?” He touches his grey trakkies and red vest.

“Yes. Agent Galahad dropped them off while you were asleep.”

“He didn’t stay?” Eggsy says before he thinks. “I mean…”

“He did not,” Pamela says. “I’ll be out here changing your bed. Call if you need me.”

Eggsy slowly manages to wash his face and other important parts while standing at the sink. He brushes his teeth and changes into his own clothes. The Kingsman-issue pajamas were nice, but it’s just such a sense of normalcy…his own trakkies, his own vest, even his own pants. He opens the loo door and finds her fluffing his pillows. “Feel like a new man, thanks.”

“You still need to take it easy,” she informs him. “And if you get chilly, Agent Galahad brought that as well. He said you’d prefer not to have a dressing gown.” Pamela points to a hook on the back of the door. 

Eggsy’s heart skips a beat and tears spring to his eyes. Merlin’s favorite grey hoodie that he wears to walk JB. “I’ll, uh, take that, yeah. Thanks.”

She helps him into it and as soon as she turns away he brings it to his face and inhales. His Master. He shoves his hands into the pockets and something soft slides through his fingers. He pulls out one of Harry’s pocket squares and smells that as well. His Sir’s cologne. “Into bed,” she orders. He eagerly obeys. “Breakfast will be along shortly and then Dr. Porter would like to meet with you at half-nine.”

“Okay,” Eggsy sighs. He’s never met with a psychologist before.

“I’ve met her. She’s very nice,” Pamela promises. He nods. “I’ll be back with your breakfast.”

Eggsy slowly eats his porridge and fruit and sips at his weak tea. He wonders what the Kingsman psychologist will be like. Will she be no-nonsense like Merlin, or some sort of New Age weirdo with crazy hair and a toga for a dress?

By the time a knock comes at his door at 9:25 he’s beside himself with curiosity. The woman who enters, however, is nothing like what he expected. First of all, she’s absolutely stunning. She seems to be a little younger than Harry and Merlin, with long greying blond hair pulled into a soft bun. She has beautiful grey-blue eyes and smile lines around her full lips. “Hello, Eggsy, I’m Cynthia Porter, Kingsman psychologist.” She holds out a nicely manicured hand. “Is this a good time?”

Eggsy’s pleased that she actually asks. “Of course. Ain’t like I’m going anywhere right now. Nice to meet you.”

“A pleasure.” She pulls a chair up to the bed and sits. She’s wearing a comfortable-looking blue dress with a long skirt which allows her to easily cross her legs. “I see you’re in your own clothes…must feel good.”

“It does. Only been here like a day or whatever, but the other stuff ain’t quite comfortable.”

“I can only imagine.” She gives him a warm smile. “And I’m sure the comforts of home are a great help in easing your mind a bit.”

“Yeah.” He thinks for a moment. “Hadn’t really occurred to me, but I guess so.”

“I know the basics of what happened to you…Dr. Liddell gave me a summary. Would you like to add anything?”

Eggsy closes his eyes for a moment. “No,” he whispers.

“Fair enough. Is there anything you WOULD like to tell me?”

“I’m angry,” he blurts out. “At myself. Afraid of the fucking dark now, almost thirty years old and I’m afraid of the dark. When I was there they never turned the lights off but now I don’t WANT them off.”

“Who knows what could happen if the lights are off?”

“Yeah. Yeah,” he repeats with more enthusiasm. “I shouldn’t be afraid of the dark. Was afraid of the dark for years, my stepdad always did his worst in the dark. Then I got comfortable with it, was safe…” Eggsy catches himself just in time. He’s sure she’s a very nice person and is bound by patient-doctor confidentiality, but he’s not going to tell her about Harry and Merlin. “And now I’m back there again.”

“It’s only been a few days,” she reminds him. “Give it time. And if you continue to see me, or someone else, you’ll be given a few coping mechanisms, exercises to help you relax and deal with what’s going on.” He nods. She nods back and waits.

“I’m…I feel guilty.”

Her eyebrows raise. “Because you were taken? I don’t believe it was your fault, Eggsy. From what I’ve read, you were just the in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Yeah, but Merlin and Ha…Galahad, they had to use Kingsman time and resources to come get me. They shoulda be worried about saving the world, not saving me.”

“You are just as important as anyone else,” she says quietly. He shrugs.

She asks him a few more questions but mostly just lets him ramble a bit. He likes her; she has an easy manner but keeps things moving. He can see himself speaking with her on a regular basis. “I got…someone,” he says evasively. “I’m afraid I’m gonna hurt them in my sleep, or be afraid of them or something.”

“If they truly care about you, they’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel safe,” she says, squeezing his hand. She checks her watch and stands. “And that, unfortunately, is all the time we have for right now. Would you like to schedule something with me on a regular basis, Eggsy? If not I won’t be offended.”

“No, I think I’d like that,” he whispers. “I ain’t never seen a psychologist or anything before. I got a lot of baggage above and beyond all this.” He waves a hand in the air. “I probably shoulda talked to someone a long time ago, but where I’m from you don’t talk about your problems to anyone.”

“I would be happy to help you in any way I can,” Dr. Porter says. “Before you leave the staff will give you the link to my private portal, you can schedule online.”

“Aces. Thank you, Dr. Porter.”

“Any time.” She shakes his hand again and leaves.

Eggsy sighs and lays back, feeling emotionally exhausted. He’s not sure he actually WANTS to talk about Dean, about his childhood, about what he’d done to get by, but he thinks he SHOULD talk about it. He owes that to Harry, to Merlin, and to himself. It’s long overdue.

He’s laying with his eyes closed, thinking about some of Dr. Porter’s suggestions, when the door opens yet again. “Harry,” Eggsy says eagerly, struggling to sit up.

“Hello, darling. How are you?” Harry strides over and kisses his forehead.

“And Merlin!” Eggsy beams at Merlin.

“Eggsy.” Merlin kisses his forehead as well.

“Oi, ain’t gonna break,” Eggsy says almost angrily. “Wot, because I got roughed up a bit you ain’t gonna kiss me proper?” They stare at him and he blinks. “Fuck. That was…sorry. I’m sorry.” He rubs at his face. “Just met with Dr. Porter, feeling sorta raw. Guess my temper’s real close to the surface. Know it’s still technically your workplace.”

“Dear boy,” Harry whispers. “I apologize as well. You’re right…I suppose I feel the need to treat you as if you’re made of glass, and I know you’re made of much stronger stuff.” He gives Eggsy a tender kiss. Merlin says nothing, just gives him a kiss that takes his breath away. “So what did you think of her?”

“She’s a knockout.”

Harry grins and Merlin chuckles. “Aye, lad. She is a favorite among the agents. They have no problem scheduling sessions with her.”

“Is she who you met with on…that night?” Eggsy asks Harry.

“No. I met with someone in the city. Still affiliated with Kingsman, but not on-site.”

“I’m gonna keep seeing her, I think,” Eggsy tells them, a bit concerned as to how they’ll react. “Not just about all this, but about Mum and Dean and all of that.”

Harry beams proudly as Merlin says, “I think that is wise, Eggsy. Sometimes it is good to speak to someone who has no say, who has no opinion. A completely impartial third party.”

“Have you ever talked to a psychiatrist or anything?” Eggsy asks Merlin.

“Nae.” Merlin takes a seat, spine ramrod straight. “It is nae necessary.”

“I think it would be good for you,” Harry observes.

“You keep on thinking that, Harry.” Merlin gives his husband a dirty look and turns to Eggsy. “I have spoken with Dr. Liddell and he seems to think ye can come home tomorrow. They wish to keep an eye on ye for one more day, make sure everything is healing correctly.”

“Okay,” Eggsy says. He picks at a fingernail. “What if…what if I can’t…what if I’m different?” This thought has been nagging at him for hours now.

“Different?” Harry asks. 

“Blokes that beat me, Collins, Ms. Allison…”

“Dead,” Merlin says bluntly. “All dead.”

“It is quite rude to interrupt,” Eggsy snaps in a very Harry-like tone. Harry grins. “As I was saying, none of them looked anything like the two of you, but what if…”

“Eggsy,” Merlin begins. He gives Harry an uncertain look and kisses Eggsy’s palm.

“We will give you all the space you need, dear boy,” Harry tells him, looking into Eggsy’s eyes and touching his cheek. “You will set the pace for everything…whether it be what you’re ready to eat, how much work you’re ready to do around the house, what you’re ready for in the bedroom. We serve at your whim.”

“Harry,” Eggsy mutters, blushing hot and fast.

“Although I am quite brilliant, lad, I cannae read your mind and either can Harry,” Merlin reminds him. “Communication is still a very important thing in our home, that has nae changed. Ye will tell us what is too much, or not enough.”

“And just as with everything else, we will never resent you or be angry if you tell us you aren’t ready for something…as long as you TELL us,” Harry adds.

“Okay.” Eggsy draws a shuddering breath. “I’ll try.”

“Ye will nae…”

“That’s all we can ask,” Harry says, giving Merlin a dirty look. 

Harry sleeps restlessly that night, eager to have his boy back in their bed where he belongs. He finally gives up on sleep around four am and gets up to take a shower. He quietly dresses and goes down to make tea before heading back upstairs to the spare room. He hopes Eggsy will wish to sleep with them, but just in case he’s going to make Eggsy’s room as perfect as possible. He washes the windows, changes the bedding, dusts, and plans on vacuuming the floor as soon as Merlin’s awake. They are scheduled to pick Eggsy up at half-ten and Merlin’s actually taking that entire day off, along with the next two days. He’s also made sure that unless a mission needs Galahad’s specific skill set, Harry will be home as well.

“Harry, what the hell are ye doing?”

Harry almost drops the entire bottle of laundry detergent into the machine. “Laundry.”

“Eggsy did laundry before he…before,” Merlin finishes. 

“Well, I’m doing MORE laundry, so he doesn’t have to,” Harry says.

“Harry.” Merlin slowly turns him away from the washer. “It will be fine. HE’LL be fine.”

“I know, but he shouldn’t have to fuss over us as soon as he’s home.”

“He won’t.” Harry makes a face. “Well, he will, but it won’t be as soon as he’s in the door.”

“You’ve met him, Hamish. He enjoys taking care of us, but we need to take care of him. We need to make up for…” Harry sighs and leans his hands on the machine.

“It sounds like perhaps Eggsy is nae the only one who should talk to someone about all this.”

Harry gets the cycle started, closes the machine, and heads for the kitchen. He starts another pot of tea. “Remember how I went to see Dr. Graham before dinner that night?” He doesn’t need to specify what night. It will be burned on their brains forever.

“Aye.”

Harry waits to continue until the pot is ready and he’s sitting down. “I was going to talk to him about Eggsy, our relationship, and my concerns for his well-being if something happened to me in the field.” Merlin nods. “Well, I did speak to him about all of those things. He did not speak negatively about our triad, didn’t try to discourage me in any way. He said that he knows the unique foundation of our relationship to begin with, and that we are strong enough together to allow for one more person within our emotional infrastructure. He also reminded me that open lines of communication are very important in such a relationship.”

Merlin snorts. “And I hope ye told him we are very familiar with that concept.”

“I did. He also mentioned about making sure everything was as fair as possible for everyone involved.” Merlin opens his mouth. “And I reassured him on that matter.” Merlin nods again. “I then spoke to him about my concerns regarding Eggsy and his sensitive heart. He basically reminded me that anyone could go at any time. They could be hit by a car crossing the street, or have an undiagnosed medical ailment. My work does not necessarily mean the eventual end of my life.” Harry sighs. “He said my feelings are quite logical…”

“There’s a first.”

Harry isn’t too much of a gentleman to kick his husband under the table. “…and quite understandable. He said all I can do is make sure Eggsy knows how much I value him, and trust in you to take care of him if something would happen.”

“Ye know I would do anything in my power to help support him in such a situation…which is never going to happen anyway because I forbid you to die in the field, agent,” Merlin growls. Harry smiles, leans over, and gives him a tender kiss.

“Yes, Merlin.”

“Good.” Merlin sips at his tea.

“But now I know all that was for naught,” Harry continues. Merlin looks surprised. “I was so worried about how he might hold up, what might tear him into pieces. I think he’s shown us this week that he’s stronger than we ever gave him credit for. He might look like silk, but he’s made of steel.”

“Aye,” Merlin whispers, staring down into his tea.

“But I’m going to continue to talk to Dr. Graham,” Harry tells him. “Because now I have a new fear, the fear of losing him. Eggsy teased us about being inside a Popemobile, but he wasn’t that far off. I never want to let him out of my sight again.”

“I WON’T let him out of my sight,” Merlin says confidently. “Every piece of clothing he could possibly place on his body now has a tracker. Pants, socks, winter hats, gloves, snapbacks.”

“That’s all well and good, but tell me you won’t wish to know where he is every second of every day,” Harry points out. “We cannot do that to him. He is an adult, he is capable, he is brave, and he is free to do as he chooses. We can try our best to keep him safe but that’s all.”

“Since when are YOU the voice of reason in this marriage?”

“Since always.” Merlin growls at him. “Well, some of the time. I’m going to ask Dr. Graham for help on this, and you should, too.”

“I doubt that is necessary.”

“Hamish, we cannot take the chance of pushing Eggsy away by trying to keep him too close.”

Merlin stares at him. “You are an absolute bastard. Who do you think you are, sitting here and giving me an amateur therapy session that actually makes bloody sense?” Harry smiles serenely. “Oh fuck off. If I need therapy I’ll come to you.”

“I’m not a professional.”

“The only thing you are is a professional…” Harry raises an eyebrow. “Drama queen,” Merlin finishes.

“And I wear that title with pride,” Harry says, leaning over for another kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

“Oh, come ON, bruv,” Eggsy mutters as Harry rolls the wheelchair into the room. “Really?”

“I’ve seen the scans, I know ye did not experience a serious head injury,” Merlin says. “So I am unsure as to why ye continue to call us by that ridiculous name.”

Eggsy grins up at him from where he’s seated on the bed. Merlin has decided to treat Eggsy as if nothing has happened, for the most part, and it seems that was a good decisions. “I know perfectly well. Just like to see if you pay attention when I talk.”

“I pay attention to EVERYTHING, lad,” Merlin says sternly.

“Come along, Eggsy. Everyone gets wheeled out of Medical.” Harry pats the wheelchair.

“I find that hard to believe. You’re telling me when you’re in here with like stab wounds or poison or sommat that you allow someone to wheel you the fuck out?”

“Everyone who isn’t an agent,” Harry corrects smoothly and Eggsy laughs out loud.

“Of course.” But he gets up and sits down. “Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” Merlin says dryly. “Off we go.”

“Wot, you got a hot date?” Eggsy says as he looks up at him.

Harry bends down to murmur in Eggsy’s hair. “We do think you’re fairly hot,” he says just loud enough for Merlin to hear. Eggsy blushes.

“Harry,” Eggsy complains. He sobers. “Oh, guess you gotta be back here for work, right?”

“Not for at least another two days,” Merlin informs him.

“Merlin,” Eggsy whispers. “You’re taking days off? For me?”

“Someone has to make sure ye obey the doctor’s orders,” Merlin says, but he feels his face soften at the way Eggsy looks at him.

“And we must get home quickly…I know someone who has missed you very much,” Harry adds as he wheels Eggsy out into the corridor.

“JB,” Eggsy says happily.

“And I’m sure we shall be overrun by other visitors,” Merlin grumbles. He’s not upset, exactly; he would never refuse the house to anyone who truly cares about Eggsy. He’s just not used to socializing. Or being a host. Or peopleing in general.

“They’ll forget about me, don’t worry, Merlin.”

“I doubt it,” Harry says. “Roxy, Richard, Tristan…Percival. They all asked about you and visited, did they not?”

“Yeah,” Eggsy says, blushing slightly.

They park the wheelchair around the corner from the train and Eggsy easily walks to the doors. “You will nae overdo things,” Merlin orders as they take their seats. “Even if we are nae at the house, I have eyes everywhere. If I catch sight of ye digging a hole in the garden, scrubbing windows, rearranging the kitchen…”

“Um, that’s sorta like my job, Merlin,” Eggsy says with a frown.

“Consider yourself on temporary medical leave, my boy,” Harry suggests gently. “The basics are fine, of course, but there is no need to go out of your way to wear yourself out.”

“But I’m fine on the outside,” he insists. “A few bumps and bruises, I’ve had much worse before.” Harry and Merlin growl as one. “Aww, you’re like little guard dogs!” They growl again. “Just gotta make sure these stay clean so they heal.” Eggsy sighs and touches the cuts on his face. “Other cuts, too.”

“As I said, ye will nae overdo,” Merlin tells him. “Ye will be punished if I even suspect it.”

For a moment he thinks he’s gone too far, but Eggsy simply smiles and says, “Yes, Merlin.” He looks troubled again as he gently rubs a finger along his own face. “Does…does this bother you?”

Merlin blinks at him. “That ye are touching your face with hands that have not been sanitized? Yes.”

“No.” Eggsy rolls his eyes. “The cuts themselves. They…they might scar or something.”

“Dearest Eggsy.” Harry gently cups Eggsy’s face in his hands. “Only the living bear scars, darling. While your outside is lovely to look at, it is nothing compared to your beautiful inside. While I know that also bears scars, it is much more important than any of this.” He kisses Eggsy’s nose.

“If that’s true, can I shave my head?”

“NO,” Harry and Merlin bark together. Eggsy snickers.

It’s Sunday so the shop is closed, eerily silent and dark. They make their way through the shop and out to where a cab is waiting. Merlin notices Eggsy hesitating ever-so-slightly as he steps from the shop onto the pavement. Merlin immediately closes in, flanking Eggsy on his right side. He notices Harry doing the same on Eggsy’s left. 

“Hello, Eggsy,” the driver says. “Merlin, Galahad.”

“Hey, Phil,” Eggsy says tiredly.

“Hope you gave just as good to the other guy,” Phil chirps as he pulls out into traffic.

“I bet he’s sorry he ever met me,” Eggsy says honestly, but he doesn’t smile.

Eggsy’s exhausted by the time they reach the front door. He hadn’t slept well, of course; he’d refused any other sleep aids and hospital beds weren’t exactly comfortable. He’d also been up most of the night worrying. What if he was scared to leave the manor? What if he was scared to be in the shop? What if he was scared in the middle of the night and thought Merlin or Harry were his captors? What if they treated him like he was made of glass, as if he was no longer their lover but simply someone who needed looked after?

Thankfully they hadn’t acted that way, and when Merlin threatened punishment it settled something in Eggsy, just a little bit. Harry’s hand on his arm as Merlin opens the door doesn’t feel stifling. It feels like home.

So does the sound of claws and excited dog. “JB!” Eggsy all but falls onto the floor in the foyer, causing Harry and Merlin to have to actually step over him. “JB.” JB yips excitedly and licks every bit of Eggsy’s face he can reach. “Oh, fuck, JB, I missed you.” And suddenly Eggsy is sobbing, crying harder than he has at any time since his rescue. He quietly wails onto the top of JB’s head, holding him so close JB’s forced to still and bury his face in Eggsy’s neck. “I missed you. You didn’t forget me. You’re here, you still love me, don’t you, JB?” 

He feels someone fold themselves onto the ground next to him. “We all missed you…and we all love you,” Harry whispers. He says nothing more, just leans in so Eggsy can rest against him.

“Aye, lad.” Merlin doesn’t sit, but he squats in front of him. “We might not lick your face or bark at ye, but we love ye and have missed ye.”

“Sorry. Fuck.” Eggsy wipes his face on the hem of his vest and now Harry’s the one whimpering. “I just…it hit me now. Like, I knew I was safe at HQ, and I really knew I was safe once I saw you two, but this. JB. JB means home. I’m home. I’m HOME.” Eggsy starts to cry again.

“Can ye possibly be home on the sofa, lad?” Merlin asks.

Eggsy giggles through his tears and allows Merlin to help him up. They go into the living room with JB still cradled in Eggsy’s arms, and take their usual places on the sofa. Eggsy leans his head on Harry’s shoulder and looks around the room. Merlin simply kisses his cheek and pets JB. “Did…did you dust in here?” Eggsy asks in shock.

“Harry might have been up earlier than usual this morning,” Merlin says, earning a dirty look from his husband. 

“How early?”

“It was after midnight,” Harry says evasively. “Laundry is done, and your room is all ready for you, if that’s where you wish to sleep tonight.”

“Harry, you didn’t need to…”

“Aye, lad, he did,” Merlin interrupts. “When Harry’s mind is nae at rest, it is best for him to keep busy or he is pure hell to deal with. Trust me.”

“You didn’t need to do my work,” Eggsy says quietly.

“I know. And Merlin scolded me for it. But I just…as he said, it set my mind at ease.”

“Okay.” 

They sit quietly for a moment before JB finally whimpers to be let down. As soon as he hits the ground he goes to his toy bin and pulls out his favorite stuffed animal, a blue plaid squirrel Eggsy calls Mycroft. JB puts Mycroft on Eggsy’s feet, sits down hard, and proudly pants up at him. “How sweet,” Harry says quietly.

“Aw, JB, you worried about me, mate? Wanna share your toy with me?” Eggsy scoops him up and gives him a kiss. “Best puppy EVER.”

“Aye,” Merlin murmurs, leaning over and gently kissing the curve of Eggsy’s neck.

“Merlin,” Eggsy says, blushing. He loves when Merlin makes subtle references to him being a puppy, although right now he’s not sure when he’ll be able to relax and let loose that way again.

“Are you hungry, darling? We have a list of light foods you can eat,” Harry says. “I could run down to the shops, get sandwiches.”

“That kinda sounds nice, yeah,” Eggsy says, smiling up at him.

“And ye will nae be cooking tonight,” Merlin informs him. “Or if ye insist, we will all work together to make dinner.”

“I like that idea,” Eggsy says, and he means it. He loves when they join him in the kitchen while he cooks.

“Would you like to lie down before lunch? Rest while I go for our food?” Harry asks.

“Actually what I’d REALLY like is a bath, but know I gotta wait a bit.” Eggsy pats at his stomach where the welts from Ms. Allison’s nails still linger. “A shower, though, would that be all right?”

“I think so,” Harry says. “Merlin can keep an eye on you.”

“I think I can shower on my own, thanks,” Eggsy grumbles. And so it begins. Bubble wrap. Popemobile.

“I agree,” Merlin says to Eggsy’s surprise. Harry makes a deep noise in his throat. “Laundry is done but not put away. I will take care of that and be within shouting distance if our lad needs help.”

“Thanks, Merlin.” Eggsy leans over and kisses him.

“If he passes out and cracks his head open on the floor of the shower, I will most certainly be hiring a plane to fly an “I told you so” banner over the house for an entire day,” Harry informs Merlin. Eggsy snickers at the thought.

“Of course you will.” Merlin stands. “Come along, lad.”

“Lemme take JB out.” Eggsy slowly stands. “C’mon, JB.” 

He follows his dog out into the garden, inhaling deeply in the fresh air. Home. He never thought he’d be so happy to be here. He’d had a home with his mother, of course, but it never felt like a sanctuary, like a place where he was truly loved and respected. He almost feels like he could wrap this little house around his shoulders and burrow down in it.

When Eggsy and JB return to the house Harry and Merlin are involved in a fairly serious snogging session. Eggsy smiles faintly as he fills JB’s water dish. Harry clears his throat and pulls away. “I beg your pardon, Eggsy.”

“Since when do you need to apologize to me for snogging your husband?” Eggsy replies almost sadly.

“No, I didn’t…I only meant…” Harry stammers helplessly.

Eggsy busies himself with washing his hands at the sink. Long arms encircle his waist and gently hold him. “Look at me, lad.” Merlin slowly turns Eggsy around and pulls Harry in as well. “I am nae an expert on emotions or anything of the sort, but I am quite good at unraveling the source of a problem. We are all tiptoeing about, walking on eggshells, worrying about hurting each other. We want to protect ye, but need to give ye space. Ye want things to go back to normal, but ye have logical doubts and fears. We are all going to misstep. We are all going to be a bit on edge. But as far as I know, our feelings for one another have not changed. Correct?” Harry and Eggsy both nod. “Well, then. We need to STOP apologizing. I never like doing it in a normal situation, and I refuse to walk around saying I’m sorry. It irritates me.”

Eggsy laughs out loud. He can’t help it. “I know it does, Merlin. You’re right. You shouldn’t do it. Don’t want you to pull a muscle or nothing.” Merlin gives him an annoyed look. “Okay, yeah. No more apologizing for this stuff.”

“I agree.” Harry turns to Merlin and kisses him long and hard, just like he was when Eggsy entered the room. “I was simply thanking Merlin for being so supportive through all of this.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty great,” Eggsy agrees. Harry then turns to him and gives him a passionate kiss. “Bwah,” Eggsy manages when he comes up for air. “What was THAT for?”

“Existing.” Harry actually pinches his arse. “I’ll be back soon. If you need anything else, darling, just text me.”

“I will,” Eggsy promises.

The atmosphere is a bit more relaxed after that. Eggsy takes his shower, Merlin puts laundry away, and Harry returns with their favorite sandwiches. Eggsy naps a bit in the afternoon, stretched out on the sofa with his head on Merlin’s lap and his feet on Harry’s. Dinner is a fairly casual affair as well, with Eggsy simply thawing some stew from the freezer with Harry and Merlin keeping him company in the kitchen.

When the clock strikes nine Eggsy is nodding off on Merlin’s shoulder as they watch telly. “Lad, let’s get ye up to bed,” Merlin murmurs.

“Okay,” Eggsy says with a yawn. “JB…”

“I have him. Go head up.” Harry smiles at Eggsy before whistling to JB. 

Merlin follows Eggsy up the stairs and gets him into the guest bath to brush his teeth and do any other necessary activities. Merlin goes into the en suite and takes care of his own requirements, and when he comes into the bedroom Eggsy is already on the bed clad only in his pants. “Eggsy?”

“Thought I’d sleep here tonight, if that’s okay.” Eggsy looks young and tired.

“Aye, ye are always welcome here, ye dinnae ever have to ask,” Merlin reminds him. “But do ye not wish to wear a vest or something? Ye usually…”

“Well, thought this would be easier to take off.” Eggsy looks up at him almost defiantly. 

Merlin opens his mouth and closes it. He is NOT dealing with this alone. As if on cue Harry appears in the doorway. “I’d love for JB to learn how to drink without bathing in his water dish,” Harry says. He looks from Eggsy to Merlin. “What’s going on?”

“Our lad wishes…well, I’m not sure what he wishes,” Merlin says honestly.

“He wishes to be naked with you two,” Eggsy answers. 

Merlin doesn’t like the look on his face. He knows Eggsy is tired, that even though he’s healing on the outside, he’s still fighting some battles on the inside. “Why?”

“Why?” Harry and Eggsy ask together.

“Aye. Why?”

“Because that’s what we do,” Eggsy says slowly.

“Aye, lad, when we are all in agreement and we work into it. Ye act as if it is a requirement, that ye wish to just get it over with.”

“No,” Eggsy says with a look of horror on his face. “I love being with you two.”

“And if we dinnae do it tonight, it is not a deal breaker,” Merlin tells him. “Ye are exhausted, ye are finally home, ye need a good night’s rest. While I always love the thought of lying with your bare body next to mine, I for one will be doing nothing but sleeping in that bed tonight.”

“But…” Eggsy sighs and looks at Harry. “You don’t want me?”

“Did anyone say that?” Harry asks, and Eggsy slowly shakes his head. “We’ve had a lovely evening welcoming you home, dearest. Nothing else is expected or required. Hamish is right, your naked body is a beautiful thing. But we need go no further than a hug and a kiss good night.”

Merlin thinks about something for a moment before kneeling in front of Eggsy. “Eggsy, I need ye to look me in the eye and listen to me very carefully.” Eggsy nods and studies Merlin’s face. “There is one question I have nae asked. Although I dinnae see anything in the reports from Medical, it is something I need to ask you directly. Did anyone at any time touch ye inappropriately or violate ye in any way?”

“No,” Eggsy says firmly, and Merlin believes him. “Nothing like that, like…sexually.”

“All right. Good. I wanted to make sure.” Merlin puts his hands on Eggsy’s knees, his thumbs rubbing in gentle circles. “If those bastards had injured ye in any way that might not…if they injured ye in a way that made it you could no longer perform sexually, we wouldn’t love ye any less. If ye were traumatized in a way that made it difficult for ye to be with us intimately, we would not care. That is NOT why we are with ye. That might have been how things started between you and I, but it is not why ye are still here. I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me you understand and believe that.”

“I do,” Eggsy whispers.

“All right, then. Remember that.” Merlin kisses his forehead as he stands.

“Can I have one of your vests?” Eggsy asks him.

“Of course.”

Merlin gets the vest and hands it to Eggsy as Harry goes to the en suite. Merlin helps Eggsy into bed and curls up around him, Harry soon joining on the other side. “All right?” Harry asks.

“Yes,” Eggsy says quietly. “Could we maybe…” Merlin is up instantly, going across the room to turn on the tiny lamp in the corner. He turns off the main light and climbs back into bed. “Yeah, that. Perfect,” Eggsy says, smiling up at him.

But it isn’t perfect. They kiss one another good night and settle in, but it is immediately obvious that Eggsy isn’t comfortable. He tosses and turns, burying his face in his pillow at one point but huffing out a sigh soon after. “Lad…”

“I’m sorry! I don’t know…”

“Perhaps if you weren’t in the middle,” Harry suggests.

“But I want to be with you!” Eggsy exclaims almost tearfully.

“No one is asking you to leave. Just take my place. Then you won’t feel so closed in,” Harry suggests. “And if you feel as if you would be better off in your own bed, you can just slip away.”

“Okay,” Eggsy says sullenly. Harry slides over next to Merlin and Eggsy wraps himself around Harry’s back. “Ain’t never been the big spoon before.”

“How does it feel?” Merlin asks.

“Good,” Eggsy says drowsily. He buries his face in Harry’s neck. “Love you two.”

“And we love you, dear boy.” Harry kisses Merlin and burrows close.

Merlin lies awake far into the night. Eggsy sleeps for about two hours before Merlin hears him slide out of bed and tiptoe out the door. Merlin forces himself to stay in bed, knowing if he goes after Eggsy Harry will as well. He pulls his husband closer and eventually falls asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Merlin comes downstairs the next morning to finds Eggsy bustling about the kitchen in a pair of trakkies and one of Merlin’s old vests. He’s whistling as he fries bacon, JB circling his feet just in case a rogue piece of bacon would fly onto the floor. “JB, bruv, you’re gonna get burned,” Eggsy warns him. “And if Merlin’s eggs end up on the floor cuz you was underfoot, well, I don’t wanna think about the consequences.”

Merlin leans in the doorway and smiles as he watches his boy putter about the kitchen. He seems to be doing well physically; occasionally he winces if he has to stretch or bend but otherwise he isn’t suffering. “I do believe we told ye to take it easy,” Merlin says finally.

Eggsy whirls around. “Fuck, Merlin, scare me to death!”

“Sorry, lad.” Merlin saunters across the kitchen, presses himself against Eggsy’s back, and plants a line of kisses along the soft neck. “But ye are avoiding the topic.”

“I am taking it easy. Eggs and bacon are like the easiest breakfast ever,” Eggsy points out. “If it makes you feel better, you can butter your own toast.”

“I suppose I could handle that.” Merlin starts tea and gets juice from the fridge. “How did ye sleep?”

“Better after I moved on the other side of Harry,” Eggsy admits.

“But ye still felt the need to leave our bed?” Merlin asks quietly.

Eggsy frowns. “Didn’t want to, but knew I was gonna toss and turn. Didn’t want to bother the two of you.”

“Eggsy…”

“Slept fine, promise,” Eggsy vows.

Merlin comes over to cup Eggsy’s chin in his hand. “If I find out ye are lying to me, Eggsy Unwin, the punishment will not be the kind ye enjoy.”

“I ain’t lying. Didn’t sleep hard, but I slept. Swear down.” Eggsy stands on tiptoe to kiss him. “Ain’t lying.”

“All right.” Merlin sets the table. “Shall I go get Harry?”

“Nah, I’ll get him,” Eggsy says with a grin. He plates up bacon and eggs, covers them to keep them warm, and bounces a kiss off Merlin’s cheek as he goes by.

“Harry,” Eggsy whispers in Harry’s ear. His breath is warm against Harry’s neck and he shivers. “Wake up.”

“Don’t leave us,” Harry slurs, pulling Eggsy in and holding him tight. “Never leave us again. Be ours forever.”

“Harry,” Eggsy whispers, and his voice is very different. 

Harry pulls himself into wakefulness and blinks at Eggsy, who is studying him curiously. “Oh. I thought…was I dreaming?”

“Dunno. You asked me to be yours forever.” Eggsy tilts his head. “You still want me like that? Even after…everything?”

Harry stretches before he answers, making sure all the cars of his brain are on the right track. “What part of any of this has been your fault?” Eggsy opens his mouth, thinks, and closes it. “Exactly. So why wouldn’t we want you?”

“I got so much baggage. It’s like…it’s like every so often we open the closet and a new bag of drama falls out.”

“I do believe I have just as much drama luggage,” Harry says lightly and Eggsy finally smiles. “My sweet precious boy…waking up next to you like this is the best part of my day. Especially after everything. Take all the time you need to set yourself right again, but remember that no matter what, we aren’t going anywhere. We are yours for as long as you want us.”

“Forever,” Eggsy vows, kissing Harry.

“MY EGGS ARE GETTING COLD, HARRY HART!” Merlin’s voice bellows from the kitchen.

Eggsy shrugs. “Eggs do get cold really fast.”

“You are correct.” Harry sits up and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. “Go down and tell him to start. I will be along shortly.”

Eggsy knee-walks over and drapes himself across Harry’s back. “Don’t deserve you two.”

“You are correct, my boy. You deserve so much more.”

“So, what would you like to do today, Eggsy?” Harry asks as he sips his tea.

“Figured I’d weed the flowerbeds a bit, maybe flip the mattresses…the curtains in the living room could use a good washing.”

Harry calmly returns his cup to its saucer. “Over my dead fucking body,” he says placidly, and Eggsy bursts out laughing.

“Just wanted to see what you’d say.”

“I knew ye had to be joking. Ye are nae that stupid,” Merlin adds.

“I do think the curtains should be washed,” Eggsy says. Harry opens his mouth. “You take them down, I can put them in the wash and iron them, Harry. Then I thought…thought maybe I’d give the therapist a call? She said I could call any time, and she wanted me to check in after I was home a day or so.”

“That sounds like a wise idea,” Merlin says approvingly.

“And thought if you two was okay with it, tomorrow we could have Richard over like you said?” Eggsy looks adorably hopeful.

“Are we nae enough company for ye lad?” Merlin’s tone is cold but he gives Eggsy a wink.

“Nope. You’re boring as hell.”

“I will remember ye said that.” Merlin takes his dishes to the sink, picking up Harry’s and Eggsy’s along the way.

“Merlin!”

“Let him feel useful, darling,” Harry teases. 

“Oi, Harry, don’t poke the bear. That’s when he usually starts making comments about his hand and my arse,” Eggsy says ruefully, rubbing the arse in question.

“I think it would be very nice to have Richard over tomorrow evening,” Harry continues. “Make a shopping list and Hamish can go get whatever you need.”

“Or,” Eggsy says before Merlin can reply. “I can make a list and we can all go.”

“I’m sure Merlin is quite capable of…”

Merlin stops behind Harry’s chair and squeezes his shoulders. “Remember we agreed that we would nae hold Eggsy prisoner?” He winces immediately at his word choice. “I mean, if he wishes to go shopping, we cannae stop him.”

“Appreciate that, Merlin,” Eggsy says quietly. “But in all honesty, I meant it when I said we could all go, or at least one of you could come with me. Dunno that…that I wanna go out in a crowd on my own just yet.”

“Then of course we shall come,” Harry says immediately. “I’m sorry if it sounded like I wanted to keep you here. I just worry.”

“Well, worry about me while I’m buying potatoes at the market,” Eggsy says with a grin.

“I will take down the curtains for ye now, lad. Harry can start the machine.”

“You are not the boss of Harry when he is at home,” Harry says with a frown.

“Oh yes I am.” Merlin kisses the top of Harry’s head, and then the top of Eggsy’s head.

The rest of the day is fairly quiet, with Eggsy working on his ironing and threatening to do other heavy chores such as emptying rubbish bins and moving furniture, just to get Harry worked up. Merlin doesn’t say much, just watches them go back and forth like participants in a tennis match.

“Do I need to tie you down to make sure you behave yourself?” Harry asks, and then stops short. “Oh. I…I’m so sorry, Eggsy. I shouldn’t say things like that.” He turns red with shame and abruptly leaves the living room.

Eggsy sighs and puts his iron on its stand. “This is gonna get worse before it gets better, ain’t it?” 

“Well, Eggsy, it’s only been a few days…but ye must see our side of it. We feel we’ve failed ye. We already feel guilty, and then when we let ourselves slip like that…”

“But Merlin, you didn’t fail. You found me.”

“Eventually,” Merlin answers quietly. “Now go tell Harry he’s fine or he’ll strop all day.”

“Yes, Merlin.” Eggsy heads for the kitchen. He comes back with Harry in tow a few minutes later. Merlin sees the guilt written all over his husband’s face.

“As punishment for your slip of the tongue, Harry, why don’t ye write down Eggsy’s shopping list as he irons?” Merlin suggests.

“All right.” Harry gets a piece of paper and a pen from a small table under the window. “Richard has accepted your dinner invitation?”

“Yeah. Asked if he should bring anything.” Eggsy stops ironing for a moment. “Pretty sure he don’t know much about wine or nothing…figured maybe he could bring something sweet for after?”

“That sounds perfect, lad,” Merlin says. He opens his laptop and starts poking about.

“Are you working?” Eggsy asks sternly.

“Nae,” Merlin says honestly. He’s planning a bit of a surprise for Eggsy and isn’t ready to show his hand just yet. It’s been on his mind for a few months, but now is the best time to put it into motion.

“So you’re telling me that if I came over there and looked at the screen I wouldn’t see mission specs?”

“I’m telling ye the truth.”

“Okay.” Eggsy gives him a sunny smile and Merlin sighs a little. He can’t help it. Harry smirks and Merlin glares at him. “Okay, Harry…chicken.” Eggsy waits expectantly.

“Oh. My apologies.” Harry writes it down.

“Really, Harry, ye have one job,” Merlin says, shaking his head. 

They start bedtime in a similar manner as the night before, with everyone getting their teeth brushed and faces washed and then they’re climbing into bed. This time Merlin is in the middle and Eggsy starts giggling as soon as Harry turns off the light. “This feels weird,” he says into the back of Merlin’s neck. “You ain’t supposed to be the little spoon.”

“I am NAE the little spoon,” Merlin says into Harry’s arm. “YOU are the little jet pack.” This makes Eggsy giggle even more and Merlin smiles into the darkness.

“Are you two ever going to settle down?” Harry asks, his voice playfully stern. “I need my beauty sleep.”

“Aw, Harry, you’re gorgeous just the way you are.”

“Nae, lad, he is an old man…he needs his rest.”

“If I turn just so my knee will end up in your genitals, Hamish.”

“And who suffers from that? You AND Eggsy, so I’d advise against it.”

Eggsy actually snorts into the back of Merlin’s head and he growls. “Sorry.” Eggsy plants a kiss onto the spot where he’d snorted and settles down. “Love you,” he whispers against Merlin’s skin.

But when Merlin wakes up around three in the morning his front is warm and sweaty where he’s pressed against Harry, and his back is cold and empty. He slides out of bed as quietly as he can and pulls on his dressing gown and slippers. He frowns when he finds Eggsy’s bed empty. As he descends the stairs he hears the sounds of whimpering…both human and canine.

Merlin finds Eggsy curled up on the sofa under a blanket with JB whining on the floor. As soon as Merlin enters the living room JB runs over, circles his feet, and returns to the sofa, whining as he looks up at his master. Eggsy twitches a bit before kicking his feet under the blanket. “No. Don’t touch me. Not telling you anything…”

JB whines loudly. “Quiet, JB,” Merlin murmurs.

“Harry…Merlin, please! I’m right here! On the chair!” Eggsy cries out softly. “Can’t ya see me? Merlin! Merlin, please…” Eggsy all but sobs.

Merlin sighs and kneels by the sofa, guilt washing over him like a tidal wave. He lays a hand on Eggsy’s arm. “Eggsy…lad.”

“Merlin…find me,” Eggsy begs.

“Oh, my pet.” Merlin briefly closes his eye before giving Eggsy a gentle shake. “Eggsy, wake up. Wake up, lad.”

Eggsy sits up so suddenly he almost knocks Merlin over. His eyes wildly roam around the room as he flails his hands. He looks down at his wrists as if just realizing he’s not actually bound to the chair. He looks down at Merlin in surprise. “Merlin?”

“Aye, lad. Ye are here, in our home. Ye are safe.”

“Merlin,” Eggsy whispers. Merlin climbs onto the sofa and pulls him close, draping the blanket over them both. He then reaches down to grab JB, plopping him on Eggsy’s lap. JB whimpers again and licks at Eggsy’s face. “It’s okay, boy. I’m fine,” Eggsy reassures his dog, kissing the top of his head. “Uncle Merlin saved me.”

“But apparently I cannae save ye in your dreams,” Merlin murmurs into Eggsy’s hair.

“Dr. Porter said I’d probably have dreams like this for a while. It’s why I leave the bedroom…don’t wanna disturb you.”

“If ye need us, Eggsy, wake us up.”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

Merlin sits with his boy in his arms for a long moment before speaking again. “I have failed ye. I cannot apologize enough.”

“Why, cuz you can’t get the dreams out of my head?”

“Nae, because ye had to wait for us to rescue you because I was stubborn and ridiculous. If I hadn’t thought ye ran off, we would have been there sooner. Ye would not have suffered so.” Merlin holds him tighter. “In your dream ye were calling out for me, as if ye were right in front of me and I dinnae see ye. Obviously…”

“Obviously nothing.” Eggsy turns to look up at him. “I know you can do everything, Merlin, but I didn’t realize you were able to analyze dreams now.”

“But how can ye trust me?” Merlin blurts out. He’s just now realizing that no matter how much he pretends that everything is fine, this one thing continues to nag at him. He let his pet down. He is the master, it is his job to protect his sub. And he failed.

“This ain’t got nothing to do with trust,” Eggsy insists.

“It does. I have the best technology of the world at my fingertips, and instead of using it I walked around telling Harry that ye ran off, making light of his concerns. And he was right, and ye were alone and afraid and tied to a bloody chair for at least an extra day because of it.”

“Merlin, it’s fine, swear down. Why in the world would you possibly have thought someone took me? I’m nothing. Harry thought it because he’s a drama queen and his mind immediately goes to the worst possible scenario,” Eggsy points out. 

“The master and sub relationship is built on trust more than anything. How can ye possibly trust me to…”

Eggsy slowly moves to sit on Merlin’s lap. He places his palms on the sides of Merlin’s face. “Merlin, listen to me very carefully. Me and Harry had a similar conversation when I woke him up. I apologized and he pointed out that none of this was my fault. Me being picked up on the pavement by some psycho? Not your fault. Not my fault. Me getting tied to a chair in a freezing cold room wearing only pants? Not your fault. Not my fault. Me keeping my mouth shut and them beating me because of it. Not your fault.” Eggsy shrugs. “Roxy and Harry storming in to save me, taking out anyone that got in their way? All because of you. Me waking up and seeing a familiar face smiling down at me, telling me I was safe? All because of you.” Eggsy tenderly kisses him. “Please, bruv, please don’t feel like you failed me. I need you so much, need you to be strong for me. I know you’re dealing with all sorts of feelings now, which you hate…and that makes ME feel guilty. But I need to know you’re not gonna give up on me because I have nightmares or because I’m petrified of going to the market by myself.”

“Never. I will be here to protect you.”

“Yeah. And that’s why I trust you.” Eggsy leans his forehead against Merlin’s. “Might not be able to be a puppy for a while, just give myself over like that…but know that I trust you. No matter what, you’re still my Master. And I trust you.”

“You’re right,” Merlin says finally. “I hate feelings.”

Eggsy chuckles. “My sweet Merlin-bot.”

“Yes. Robot good, feelings bad.”

Eggsy slides about a bit until he’s tucked between Merlin and the arm of the sofa. “Hold me til I fall asleep, Merlin-bot?”

“Aye, lad. Until the end of time, if ye need it.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lonnnngggg chapter - sorry!!

“Got all the bags?”

“Yes, Eggsy.”

“Not the one with the torn handle. Not the red one.”

“Yes, Eggsy.” Harry smiles patiently as he waits by the door.

Eggsy snaps the crate door shut. “We’ll be back, JB. And if you’re real good, I bet Mr. Ryder will send you a treat.”

“How does this Mr. Ryder know JB has behaved himself?” Merlin asks.

Eggsy gives him an odd look. “Because JB ALWAYS behaves.”

Harry snorts and then clears his throat. “I do beg your pardon.”

“Keep it up and you two won’t be getting no treats, neither,” Eggsy says, poking them each in the chest. “Now let’s get moving. I still gotta clean the kitchen and dining room.”

“Lad, it is Richard. Who spends most of his time cleaning up dog excrement. I dinnae think he will care if…”

“He’s our guest and deserves to be treated as such,” Eggsy says firmly.

Merlin turns on his husband. “You are a bad influence on him.”

“I have done nothing. It isn’t MY fault he’s picked up good manners from me. Lord knows he wouldn’t pick them up from you.”

“Boys, I’m thinking no treats for anyone. Behave.” Eggsy gives them both a glare. “Let’s get moving. Not right to make Phil wait out there.” He heads out the door without another word.

Merlin meets Harry’s gaze and they share a smile. This banter, this back and forth, it all feels familiar…as if things just might be going back to normal. They follow their boy out the door and into the back of a Kingsman cab. “Good morning, Philip,” Harry says politely.

“Galahad, Merlin. Off for the shops?”

“Aye. Eggsy is having a friend over for dinner and we thought we’d tag along to help carry things,” Merlin answers.

He sits close to Harry on the right side of the seat, with Eggsy near the door on the left. It’s so hard sometimes to remember that they can’t always act as if they’re a unit, that he cannot hold Eggsy’s hand or put an arm around him. But it’s better to keep things fairly quiet, even if they’ve started opening up to their closest friends. Merlin knows they can trust Lancelot and Percival, and Eggsy seemed so happy after his conversation with Richard. It’s new territory for them all and they’ll just have to explore it as best they can.

“Thanks, Phil,” Eggsy says as the cab crawls to a stop and he climbs out.

“We shan’t be long,” Harry promises.

“No need for ye to wait,” Merlin tells their driver. “We will call for ye.”

“Yes, sir.” Philip gives them a wave and drives away.

“Do we need to set up rules to make sure you two don’t get lost?” Eggsy asks with a wink. “Know this is foreign territory for you, actually shopping.”

“I am VERY good at shopping,” Harry says indignantly.

“Yeah yeah, I know…gold medal in that, I’m sure,” Eggsy says. “But we’re talking foodstuffs here…bargaining and all.”

“This sounds interesting,” Harry muses.

“You been shopping with me before, Harry. You know how I operate.”

“Yes, but I normally am just looking at your beautiful arse as you move about,” Harry admits. Eggsy laughs and Merlin rolls his eyes.

“You and Harry go ahead, lad. I will follow.”

Eggsy’s smile fades as he turns the corner and catches sight of the large group of people. “I, uh, yeah. That sounds good.” He looks up at Merlin. “You won’t…you’ll be able to see me the whole time?”

“Aye, lad,” Merlin says quietly, placing a hand on his arm. “I will have eyes on ye the entire time, and Harry will stay by your side.”

“Fuck.” Eggsy draws a ragged breath. “Thought I was doing okay, but that’s…there’s so many people.”

“Just like any other day of shopping,” Harry says encouragingly. “I will always be within reach. And you’ll have Merlin at your back.”

“Okay.” Eggsy nods. “Okay. Sorry.”

“Oh, darling boy,” Harry whispers. “Do not apologize. This is a big step, and it’s quite soon. We are very proud of you.”

“Aye. Your anxiety is completely normal,” Merlin promises. “Although, now that I think about it, who I am to say what constitutes normal?”

Eggsy giggles, which was Merlin’s aim. “Love you both so fucking much.”

“And we love you. Now let’s go…teach me how to haggle over the price of carrots.” Harry gently prods Eggsy toward the stands of food.

Merlin follows a short distance behind, eyes never leaving Eggsy’s body. There are a few times Harry and Eggsy are swallowed up by other shoppers, but Merlin trusts Harry to keep their boy safe. After about thirty minutes he manages to snag them and pull them aside. “Here…I will carry what ye have so far.”

“Thanks, Merlin.” Eggsy hands over a few bags. 

“Are ye doing all right?”

“I am. It’s okay.” Eggsy runs a hand over his face. “Feeling good.”

“Are we done yet?” Harry asks and Merlin stares at him in surprise.

“Thought you liked shopping, Harry.”

“I do, my boy, but this is…”

“Boring?” Eggsy finishes with a grin.

“Yes.”

Eggsy laughs. “Well, I’m proud of you for sticking it out. Not too much longer…Mr. Ryder’s shop is just over here.”

“I’ll call Phil and wait for him there.” Merlin points to the closest intersection. “I can still see this end of the market from that corner. Will ye be all right, Harry?”

“Yes, I’ve got him.” Harry gives Eggsy a warm smile.

“Is that all right with ye, lad?”

“Yeah, Merlin, I’m fine. Gonna have to do this on my own eventually anyway.”

“Good. Go on, then.” Merlin pulls out his mobile as he heads for the corner. He makes the call and notices a stand to his left. He wanders over and catches the attention of the woman in charge. “Good morning, young lady. I was wondering if ye could help me?”

Eggsy’s surprised at how happy he feels once they’re safely inside the house. Not that he was completely paranoid; he’d been able to do his shopping and even point out a few things to Harry along the way without too much trouble. He knows, however, that it might be a while before he feels completely comfortable in a crowd.

“You can just put everything in the kitchen, I’ll organize it,” he tells Harry and Merlin. “Hey, JB! Got something from Mr. Ryder just for you!”

JB arfs excitedly in his crate. “I’ll take him out,” Harry says. “And then he can have his treat here in the kitchen…I don’t want dog drool on the rug in the living room.”

“Of course, Harry,” Eggsy says. Harry lets the dog out and takes him into the garden. “Okay, so I’ll have to start cutting up vegetables…” Eggsy murmurs to himself as he goes through the sacks of vegetables. “Can you put the chicken in the fridge, Merlin?”

“Of course.” Merlin finds the chicken and puts it in the fridge before grabbing one of the sacks. “I…I picked something up for ye.”

Eggsy looks up from his Brussel sprouts. “For me?” He asks in surprise. He hadn’t noticed Merlin at any of the stands.

“Aye.” Merlin looks particularly uncomfortable, which means it has to do with feelings. 

“I’m sure I’ll like it no matter what,” Eggsy says encouragingly, although he wonders what Merlin found at the market that makes him this nervous.

Merlin digs out a long wrapped parcel. “For you.”

“Thanks.” Eggsy takes it and starts untying the string as Harry and JB return to the kitchen. “Oh,” he whispers, staring at the beautiful bouquet of flowers.

“The lass explained what they mean, strength and perseverance and loyalty and love. I simply thought they were pretty.” Merlin shrugs. “I explained that I wished to give them to someone who means a great deal to me, who has been through an ordeal and come out the other side stronger than ever, and this is what she came up with.”

“Merlin.” Eggsy can’t say anything more. His ability to word is lost somewhere in the depths of the beautiful flowers. “I…” He buries his face in the bouquet and inhales. “This is…this amazing. Ain’t no one ever did something like this for me before.” He bites his bottom lip hard, ordering himself not to cry. “This means so much to me. Thank you.”

“Ye are quite welcome.” Merlin clears his throat, a stoic look on his face. Harry smiles, puts his arm around his husband, and kisses the side of his neck.

“Um, do we got a vase or anything?”

“I’m sure we have something that will suit,” Harry says finally. He kisses Merlin on the lips this time. “You are full of surprises, which is one of the many reasons I promised you my forever.”

“You were desperate and no one else would put up with your dramatics,” Merlin says, but he allows the kiss and runs a hand over Harry’s back.

Harry moves away to find a vase, which allows Eggsy to come over and thank Merlin properly. “Thank you, Merlin.” He stands on tiptoe and kisses him.

“Ye are welcome, my pet.” Merlin rubs his nose along Eggsy’s for a moment before releasing him. “If ye feel I can handle it, I will work on straightening up the living room?”

“Aces, Merlin, thanks.” Eggsy turns back to the table full of paper sacks. “Time to get to work.”

As soon as Eggsy’s busy with his groceries Harry drags Merlin into the living room and gives him a thorough snogging. “You are incredible.”

Merlin moans and tilts his head to the side. “Aye, I am aware.”

Harry licks a zig-zag line up the strong neck. “Strong, brilliant, handsome, loving.”

“I…” Merlin moans again.

“You are amazing.” Harry presses his forehead to Merlin’s. “I think I should give you a blow job, right here and now.”

“I…I suppose I could be convinced.” Harry shoves Merlin toward the sofa and he manages to tumble onto the cushions just in time. Harry growls, falls to his knees, and wrestles with Merlin’s belt and zip. “I should do nice things more often.” Merlin allows his head to fall back.

“No, because they cause you a great deal of discomfort.” Merlin’s cock is soft but it doesn’t take long for Harry to work into a delicious hardness against his tongue. He sucks just the head into his mouth and Merlin actually whimpers.

“I thought only the dark side of me turned ye on.”

Harry looks up at him as he swirls his tongue around the head. “All the sides of you turn me on.” He takes Merlin all the way in, causing his husband to yelp and press a hand to the back of Harry’s head.

“Everything okay in here?” Eggsy appears in the doorway. “Oh,” he says softly.

“Come, lad,” Merlin manages. “Sit next to me…kiss me…I want to taste your mouth as I come down Harry’s throat.” Harry’s briefly concerned Eggsy will refuse, but he’s happy to see Merlin attempting to keep things normal.

“Fuck,” Eggsy whispers, but he does as he’s told. “You two are gorgeous like this.” He pets the back of Harry’s head as he leans in to kiss Merlin.

“I love ye, pet…love your mouth, the softness of your lips…” Merlin groans into Eggsy’s mouth as his hips arch up. Harry grabs Merlin by the hips and digs his fingers in and suddenly Merlin’s coming. “Yes, Harry,” he hisses.

Merlin growls and gently nips at Eggsy’s bottom lip. Eggsy snickers and nips back. Harry gently kisses the entire length of Merlin’s throbbing cock before carefully tucking it away again. He then pulls his handkerchief from his pocket and wipes his mouth. “Well.”

“Can’t leave you two alone for a minute.” Eggsy leans his head on Merlin’s shoulder.

“It’s not my fault that the softer side of Hamish gets me all hot and bothered,” Harry says.

“It IS attractive,” Eggsy agrees.

“Don’t get used to it,” Merlin says sternly. “Christ…how many toys does that dog have?” He points in the direction of JB’s bed and toy box.

“Just the right amount,” Harry says loftily, since he spoils the dog even more than his master does. “But I don’t think JB’s toys are our main concern.” He points to the other corner of the room, where Eggsy’s dog bed and toy box are located.

“Oh.” Eggsy blushes but he giggles a bit as he does so. “Yeah, dunno if I’m quite ready to explain THAT to Richard.”

“Nae…that is for the three of us and no one else,” Merlin says quietly. “But it is nothing to be ashamed of…ye do agree on that, correct, pet?”

“I do,” Eggsy says with a nod. “I’m a lot better about that. Sorta figured out that if you need something it don’t matter if someone else doesn’t get it. If you need it, and you can get it in a way that don’t hurt no one? It’s not a bad thing.”

“That’s my smart boy.” Harry leans up to kiss him. “I shall take those things up to our bedroom. I highly doubt Richard will be anywhere near there tonight.”

“Dunno…he’s gorgeous,” Eggsy says, pretending to think about it.

“Keep it up, lad, and I will put ye in JB’s crate for the evening,” Merlin warns.

Eggsy snorts and stands up. “I’m bendy, but I ain’t THAT bendy. Back to work.” He kisses them each on the forehead and heads for the kitchen.

“We are so lucky,” Harry says softly, watching their boy walk away.

“Aye. In more ways than one.” Merlin stands and helps Harry to his feet.

“So we’re really doing this,” Merlin says as Eggsy straightens the forks and wipes a smudge from a glass. “We’re having someone over for dinner.”

“You’re having second thoughts NOW?” Harry asks. He looks quite handsome in his favorite grey trousers and black cardigan. 

“You said it was okay for me to have a friend over,” Eggsy says unhappily.

“That sounds ridiculous. We are nae your parents, ye may have over whomever ye wish,” Merlin grumbles.

“Yeah, but this…this is different. It’s Richard, who knows what…what we are,” Eggsy finishes. “It ain’t me having Jamal over and my landlords just so happen to be around. It’s my coworker and really good friend coming over to hang out with me and my…my paramours.” Eggsy refolds a napkin. “But if you really don’t wanna be here, it’s fine.”

“Lad…” Merlin sighs. “I can probably count on one hand the amount of times Harry and I have entertained. And that’s basically because we aren’t…entertaining. I am nae good at small talk, and our dynamic tends to make coworkers uncomfortable. I must admit I am a wee bit nervous. Ye bring out the best in me, Eggsy, but it takes a lot for it to happen. I dinnae wish to embarrass ye, but I refuse to be anything but myself.”

“Merlin.” Eggsy comes over and wraps his arms around him. “I would never EVER want you to be anything but your grumpy antisocial Merlin-bot self, okay? And that’s actually how Richard knows you. That’s the Merlin he’s expecting. The only thing you have to do is not growl at him, use your knife and fork appropriately, and say please and thank you.”

“I’m not a Neanderthal,” Merlin points out. Harry snorts. “Quiet, you.”

“Thanks for letting me use the fancy dishes, Harry. Know you don’t like them cuz your brother gave them to you.” Eggsy beams over at him.

“They’re just dishes. They are pretty and we should use them more often. And if he ever shows his face here I will break them over his head,” Harry says as the doorbell rings.

Eggsy’s face lights up and he all but runs to the door. “Are ye sure there isn’t somewhere I have to be?” Merlin grumbles. He’ll do whatever his boy wants but he really hates being polite to people on purpose…even though Richard is decent enough.

“Our boy deserves to have friends over,” Harry reminds him. “It means so much to him for us to be honest around someone.”

“Aye,” Merlin sighs.

“If you are very good tonight, I will give you a treat later,” Harry promises with a wink. Merlin growls and kisses him.

Merlin and Harry go out into the hall to greet Richard, who is giving Eggsy a hug and trying not to drop a paper sack. “Hello, Galahad. Merlin, sir.”

“Good evening, Richard,” Harry says with a smile. “I do believe that here in my home you may call me Harry.”

“Yes, sir. I mean, Harry.” Richard smiles bashfully. “I brought a bit of cake for later, thought it looked good.”

“Merlin loves cake,” Eggsy informs him. “Perfect choice.”

“May we offer you a drink before dinner, Richard?” Harry asks smoothly, leading the way into the living room.

“That would be great, thanks. Scotch, if ye have it.”

“Of course we have it,” Merlin retorts. Eggsy gives him a dirty look. 

Merlin takes a seat on his favorite chair while Harry mixes drinks and Richard and Eggsy sit on the sofa. Eggsy starts chattering away immediately, asking if Richard had a problem finding the house, and what he thinks of Harry’s butterfly collection. Merlin is actually a bit envious; he’s never had the ability to easily make conversation with people about everyday topics. He nods his thanks at Harry when handed his drink and then continues to just watch the younger men converse. He remembers the way he’d overreacted when Eggsy gave a bit of personal information to Lancelot, and he’s bound and determined not to act that way now.

“Merlin, ye dinnae mind having dead insects all over your house?” Richard speaks to Merlin for the first time, looking a bit nervous as he does so.

“At first it was a bit of a challenge, but then I realized it made him happy, so I allowed it.”

“You allowed nothing. I distracted you with my charm and good looks until you didn’t even notice what was on the walls.” Harry winks at Richard.

“Yes, THAT’S what ye did,” Merlin replies dryly.

“Ain’t like that upstairs, swear down,” Eggsy informs Richard. “Bedroom’s real nice, classy and all.”

“I refuse to wake up and find walls full of framed butterflies looking down on me,” Merlin says. 

“My room ain’t got nothing like that. Pretty basic,” Eggsy continues. “Definitely no dead things on the walls. Some cute pictures of JB, though.” He reaches down to where JB is seated at his feet. JB licks his fingers, gets up, and goes over to sit by Richard.

“That’s a good pup…you know who treats ye better, don’t ye, JB?” Richard says with a laugh, scratching behind JB’s ears.

“You talk about me spoiling the dogs…you’re the worst when it comes to JB.”

“JB has to live with you on a daily basis…he deserves a bit of spoiling,” Richard retorts. “You…uh…ye don’t share a bedroom?”

“Not because we haven’t offered,” Harry says.

“REPEATEDLY,” Merlin adds.

“We all need space sometimes,” Eggsy tells Richard. “Plus Merlin runs hot like a fucking furnace and sometimes it’s too much.”

“I will remember that in January when ye are whining that your feet are cold,” Merlin tells him. 

Eggsy smiles and gets to his feet. “Think dinner’s about ready, let’s go in.”

Harry and Merlin are preparing to do the washing up when Eggsy returns from walking Richard to the door. He watches them for a moment, loving the way they share each other’s space so comfortably. They truly are two beautiful men and for about the one thousandth time he wonders how he got so lucky.

The evening was a rousing success and something Eggsy hopes to do again soon. Merlin finally started warming up and occasionally joining in on the conversation, and Harry kept Richard entertained with (heavily abridged, Eggsy is fairly certain) stories of some of his more comical missions. Now Richard’s gone for the night, everyone is full of chicken, vegetables, and the delicious cake, and all they have left to do is clean up.

Eggsy leans in the doorway. “You two are pretty damn spectacular, you know that?”

They both look over their shoulders. “I’ve heard that rumor, yes,” Harry says with a smile.

“Of course I am spectacular, I all but invented the word,” Merlin says haughtily, and Eggsy laughs.

He ambles over and wraps himself around Merlin from the back. “I love you. Thank you for going out of your comfort zone so much today. Flowers, a dinner guest…it means a lot to me.”

“I have the feeling I would do just about anything for ye, Eggsy Unwin.” Merlin leans back into his embrace for a moment.

“Kicking and screaming the entire way,” Harry adds.

“Aye,” Merlin agrees.

They work on the dishes while Eggsy cleans the table and straightens up in the living room. He lets JB out and smiles as his tubby little pug gambols about the garden. He hasn’t taken him for a walk yet on his own; Harry has been good about looking after JB’s needs, but it is time he steps up. If Eggsy can’t even take his own dog around one of the safest neighborhoods he’s ever been in, he needs to work on some things.

When he returns to the kitchen Harry and Merlin are bickering about something. Merlin’s looking adorably annoyed, Harry is doing his best not to seem amused, and Eggsy feels like he’s falling in love with them both all over again.

“Can we go upstairs?” The words fly out before he can stop them and they both look surprised.

“I beg your pardon, lad?”

“I want, can we…can we go upstairs? Like to bed?” Eggsy feels like an idiot.

“Are you sure it’s what you want, darling? The last thing we’d ever wish to do is rush you.” Harry comes over and puts an arm around his waist.

“Yeah, it’s what I want. Just wanna be naked with you. Even if all we do is kiss or whatever, I just…I need that closeness. Wanna remember what it’s like to feel truly safe and secure.”

“Say nothing more,” Merlin replies. He takes Eggsy by the hand and all but drags him to the stairs, Eggsy giggling madly as he stumbles along.

“Hamish!”

“The boy asked to get naked, Harry. Who are we to refuse him?” Merlin winks over his shoulder at Eggsy.

“I shall be the responsible one – as usual – and get JB situated.” Harry sighs and shakes his head.

“Merlin, think I can find my way,” Eggsy laughs as he almost trips over his own feet.

“Very well.” Merlin releases Eggsy’s hand and leads the way into the bedroom. Once they reach their destination his eyes are more serious. “What Harry said is correct, lad. We would nae wish to pressure ye in any way.”

“I don’t feel pressured at all. Tonight was just…it was happy and good and I feel like we’re actually getting back to real life.” Eggsy pulls his jumper over his head and toes off his shoes. “And one of my favorite parts of our real life is getting naked with you.”

“I will nae deny ye that.” Merlin makes short work of his own shoes and socks, and by the time Harry reaches the bedroom they’re actually falling onto the bed together.

“No fair,” Harry whines. “You could have waited.”

“Well, get undressed and stop your complaining.” Merlin folds himself around Eggsy and just holds him close.

Eggsy sighs happily, buries his face in Merlin’s neck, and just focuses on the feeling of the hard body against his own. Merlin’s long fingers stroke up and down his spine and he groans a bit. “Feels good,” he murmurs against Merlin’s skin. He can feel his dick plumping up but he honestly doesn’t even care of he gets off. He just wants this connection.

Merlin, however, seems to have other plans. “I love every part of ye, lad.” He cradles Eggsy’s face in his hands and kisses him. “I would like to touch ye, if ye are willing.”

“Of course,” Eggsy murmurs. He allows Merlin to roll him onto his back as Harry joins them on the bed.

“One moment, Hamish.” Harry gently pulls Eggsy into an embrace and Eggsy gladly allows it. Harry and Merlin are built the same, same height, same long limbs, same strength, but hugging Harry is different. He’s a bit softer around the edges, and his hugs don’t feel quite as possessive. Eggsy feels cherished in Harry’s arms.

Harry kisses him and continues kissing him as Merlin eventually rolls him onto his back again. Eggsy runs his hand through Harry’s hair, pulling it from his product, and he sighs as curls start to wrap around his fingers. “So gorgeous,” he murmurs.

“Aye,” Merlin agrees. “Ye are. The both of ye.”

Merlin starts working his way down Eggsy’s body, kissing and gently caressing until Eggsy is almost squirming under the onslaught. Harry stays where he is, kissing Eggsy and occasionally touching his arm, his nipples, his stomach. Merlin comes back up to kiss Eggsy, his large hand finally stroking Eggsy’s now rock-hard cock. “Is this all right?” Merlin asks.

“It is…fuck yeah, it is…” Eggsy’s entire body is on fire from the kissing, the caressing, just the feeling of warmth surrounding him. He cries out into Harry’s mouth as Merlin’s fingers hit just the right spots. Precome drips down over Merlin’s fingers and Eggsy almost sobs.

“We love you so much, dearest boy…and we will always take care of you in every way we can,” Harry promises.

“Merlin!” Eggsy makes clumsy grabby hands and pulls Merlin in for a kiss. His other hand reaches for Harry and he’s clutching at them both as he comes.

The orgasm hits him like a bolt of lightening, his entire body shuddering with his climax. Eggsy feels tears slide down his cheeks but doesn’t remember starting to cry. Harry and Merlin both hold him close, whispering things against his skin as they pet him. Merlin finally gets out of bed and returns with a flannel to clean the drops from Eggsy’s stomach. Harry helps Eggsy wriggle under the covers, and they resume their places in a tangle of arms and legs.

“I love ye, sweet lad.” Merlin noses along Eggsy’s cheek.

“Mmm.” Eggsy burrows close for a long moment, occasionally reaching over to touch Harry or kiss Merlin. He thinks about the evening, about how good it felt to just be themselves for once. He knows that everyone will not be as understanding as Richard, and they’ll have to watch what they say and who they say it to. But there’s one person he feels his MUST tell, even though there’s a good chance it won’t end well. “Harry?”

“Yes, darling?”

Eggsy rolls onto his back so he can see their faces. “Tonight was good.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Just a bunch of blokes hanging out, having dinner. Didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing or nothing…and Richard didn’t seem to even care.”

“That is correct.”

Eggsy takes a deep breath. “I wanna tell my mum. About us, I mean. It’s about time she knows. She’s still got it in her mind that I’m gonna meet someone and have babies or sommat, by adopting or surrogate or something. She still drops hints about available blokes she knows. And I’m tired of it. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life right here and right now…and I don’t wanna hide it from her no more.”

“I understand.” Harry gently strokes his face.

“What do you think?” Eggsy looks at Merlin.

“I think ye must do what ye feel is necessary, lad.” But Merlin looks worried.

“I know it might not end well. She might not wanna talk to me no more, cuz she’ll see this like most people see triads…just a bunch of sex. I want the chance to explain it to her. Could be a nightmare. She might not wanna see me no more, and she might take…she might not let me see my flower.” Eggsy swallows hard. That is a horrible thought. “But I won’t know til I try.”

“We will be here for you, darling, no matter what,” Harry tells him, and Merlin nods. “Whenever you feel ready.”

“I’m ready,” Eggsy says. He burrows into the safety of Merlin’s arms and closes his eyes. “I’ll call her tomorrow.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continues to read this series of craziness. I appreciate you all so very much.

“You two ain’t sparred in a while,” Eggsy says over his lunch. 

Merlin and Harry both freeze. “I beg your pardon, my boy?”

“You two ain’t sparred. Can always tell when you do…some interesting bloodstains in the laundry.” He points his fork at Harry. “Can you at least TELL me next time so I can try to do something about it?”

“Of course,” Harry says. “We’ve had a lot on our mind of course, and…”

“You ain’t sparred in a while BEFORE all that, and I know you like it. Especially you, Merlin, ,because you don’t get the chance to fight people like Harry does.”

“I should probably be concerned at how easily you accept the fact that Harry and I like to beat the hell out of each other,” Merlin remarks.

“Definitely ain’t something I want or need for myself,” Eggsy agrees. “But you two like it, and it helps you release some stuff…don’t you think now more than every you need to be releasing some stuff?”

“I suppose,” Merlin muses.

“And it ain’t gonna do anything to me, swear down. Just because you wanna punch each other and then come on the bruises don’t mean it’s gonna trigger something in me.” Eggsy rolls his eyes. “Just makes me wonder what kind of freaks I’m shacking up with.” He winks at Harry and stands up with his plate. “And I…” 

“Your pocket is buzzing,” Harry says helpfully.

Eggsy rolls his eyes again. “Thanks, Harry.” Eggsy slides his mobile from the pocket of his trakkies. “Mum. I messaged her when I got up this morning.” He takes a few deep breaths. “Hey, Mum.”

“Got your message, babe, so sorry…was getting ready for work and all. On break now.”

“That’s fine, Mum, I understand. Told you there was no hurry.” He clears his throat. “Are you still off work on Tuesdays?”

“I am, yeah. Take that time to run errands, clean up a bit, all that. Sometimes they call me into the shop but normally it’s my free day.”

“Great, well, I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch on Tuesday. Here,” he adds. He sees Harry and Merlin’s eyebrows go up simultaneously. “Figured you ain’t been here much, and I could cook for you.”

“Aw, that’s sweet but this Tuesday I got plans with Mel. We’re gonna do a bit of shopping, have tea.”

“Okay, how about the next Tuesday?” Eggsy says almost desperately.

“Sure, babe, that would be nice. Are you sure you want me to come over? We could…”

“No, Mum, it’s fine. Harry and Merlin don’t care if have people over, especially you,” Eggsy says truthfully. “We’ll talk before then, but how about you get here around half-eleven?”

“That sounds good. Listen, I gotta run, lunch is almost over. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Mum. Bye.” Eggsy hangs up and sighs. “Guess I should be happy that she’s got friends to hang out with…friends that aren’t just the wives or girlfriends of Dean’s losers.”

“You’ve done so much for her, lad…I think sometimes ye feel like the parent,” Merlin says. “And it’s hard to stop feeling responsible for her, I’m sure.”

“Yeah. So I guess a week from Tuesday she’ll be coming for lunch, and I’ll tell her everything.” Eggsy goes to the sink and starts cleaning up.

Harry brings his plate over and slides an arm around Eggsy’s waist. “Are you sure you want to do it here, darling?”

Eggsy nods. “Yeah. I do. Because I’m in MY home. This is mine and she can yell all she wants and I can ask her to leave. She can’t throw me out or nothing.” Merlin gets up from the table, walks over to Eggsy, and captures his mouth in a kiss so warm and passionate that it literally takes Eggsy’s breath away. “Whaaa…”

“This is the first time in all these years that I have heard ye call this place your home and sound like ye truly believe it,” Merlin tells him. “Ye have continued to act as if this belongs only to Harry and I, and that ye are a kept man of some sort. The way ye just spoke, however…ye sounded like ye belong here. And ye do.”

“Merlin,” Eggsy whispers. 

“Hamish is right, my boy, although it pains me to admit it.” But Harry leans over to kiss his husband. “We will be here to support you no matter what.”

“Thanks, Harry.” Eggsy leans in for a moment before returning to his sink.

“Fuck,” Merlin grunts as Harry lands a well-placed kick to his side. “You’ve been practicing.”

“I’ve been stretching,” Harry says proudly, ducking away from Merlin’s left hook. He’s unable to avoid the right and oxygen leaves his body in a huff of air. “You know Eggsy has started reading up on yoga. I’ve been doing some of the stretches that are good for the legs.”

“I would pay good money to watch ye do yoga,” Merlin says with a grin, wiping blood from his lip.

“I would pay good money to watch EGGSY do yoga,” Harry adds.

“Aye,” Merlin murmurs, stopping momentarily to think about it. He throws an arm up just in time to block Harry’s next punch. “What do ye think about him wanting to tell Michelle about us?”

Harry steps back out of their ‘ring’ and leans against the wall. Merlin rests as well. “I think it’s something he needs, and I am willing to go along with it if it’s good for him. I have a feeling it will probably not end well.”

“Aye,” Merlin agrees. “The one good thing is that he expects as much, so she will not be blindsiding him.”

Harry starts to peel the tape away from his hands and wrists. “I just want him to be happy…and telling the people close to him will make him happy. You and I are lucky…we can tell the world we love each other and it really won’t matter. He does not have that luxury.”

“I tell no one I love ye. It is too embarrassing,” Merlin says solemnly. Harry snorts and holds out his hands so Merlin can finish the tape. “It is hard sometimes coming through the shop and not giving him a kiss hello, but while Andrew would probably be very understanding, I dinnae think I should do that in the workplace regardless.”

“Of course not.” Harry leans his head against Merlin’s. “All we can do is support him, I suppose…and be here if he needs us.”

But unfortunately Harry will NOT be there. He is called in on a mission the following Friday and even Merlin can’t get him out of it. It’s a short easy job in Berlin, and he’ll only be gone a few days, but it is quite likely he will not return by Tuesday morning.

“Perhaps you could shoot me,” Harry suggests on Friday morning. “Just enough to put me in Medical.”

“Harry!” Eggsy gasps in horror.

“I have been waiting DECADES for this opportunity,” Merlin says eagerly. “Let me go to the office and choose a weapon.” He jumps up from the table.

“Hamish McNair, sit your lovely arse down,” Eggsy says sternly. “You are NOT going to shoot your husband, even though he’s asked you to do it.” He blinks for a moment. “Fucking hell. In what world is it okay for me to say that sentence?”

“Fine.” Merlin sits down and actually pouts.

“I’ll be fine, Harry. Got Merlin, don’t I? And I know you’re there for me no matter what part of the world you’re sitting in.” Eggsy leans over and gives Harry a kiss. “It’s just Mum. Ain’t like I’m talking to an evil supervillain.” Harry and Merlin mutter a bit. “Hey…just cuz she wasn’t the best Mum to me for a while don’t make her a supervillain.” More mumbling. “You two are ridiculous.”

“I will be thinking of you the entire day, darling.”

“Harry, forget about me. Worry about your mission so you can get home. I’m a grown man. Can handle a serious conversation with my mum.”

But as Tuesday grows closer Eggsy continues to get more nervous. He focuses on other things, such as getting out more on his own. He is able to take JB for walks now, and has even made quick trips to a few shops. He looks after Merlin in Harry’s absence…without Merlin realizing it, of course. Merlin would die before admitting it, but his shoulders droop a little lower when his husband is out on a mission, even one as easy as this one apparently is.

And then it’s Tuesday and Eggsy is scrubbing the kitchen floor at half-six in the morning. “Lad, what the hell are ye doing?” Merlin asks. “I cannae get to my tea.”

“Your tea is right there within arm’s reach, on that shelf,” Eggsy answers as he scrubs. “Want this to look nice.”

“It always looks nice…ye do an amazing job taking care of the house.”

“Yeah, but now it will matter.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Eggsy looks up and rests back on his knees for a moment. “Before it mattered to her cuz I was doing my job, which is to look after the house. Now it will matter because it shows that I’m here taking care of the men I love, that I’m happy and safe here.”

“Oh.” It’s obvious Merlin doesn’t understand. Eggsy goes back to his scrubbing. “But it really doesn’t matter at all. Tell me, Eggsy, does she get on her hands and knees and scrub HER kitchen floor?”

“Probably not.”

“And yet here ye are, not dead by some sort of poison. She won’t care about your floor.”

Eggsy sighs. “You don’t get it, Merlin. Everything needs to be perfect. The more perfect there is, the less crazy she might get.”

“Lad, I understand she is your mother and ye care about her opinion. But…”

“No, Merlin, you DON’T understand.” Eggsy stands up. “Your mum didn’t give a rat’s arse about you, you’ve said it more than once. You didn’t have a little sis you love more than your own life. So you don’t understand that she can change my life in an instant, just because she don’t like who I love.”

“And if she asks ye to make a choice between your family and your lovers?”

“I…” Eggsy swallows hard. “I can’t think about that right now. I gotta clean.”

Merlin stares at him for a long moment. “I am nae going into work today…cleared everything with my staff. I figured ye might need me, so I made arrangements to stay home.”

“Merlin, you didn’t need to do that,” Eggsy whispers.

Merlin ignores him. “I will be in my office all day. Dinnae worry about feeding me or anything else.”

“Merlin,” Eggsy says.

“Nae, lad…I think it best to leave ye to your thoughts. Ye know where I am if ye need me.” Merlin takes his tea and leaves the kitchen.

“Fuck,” Eggsy says, dropping back to his knees. If this is how his morning is starting, how will the rest of the day go?

He busies himself with the rest of the kitchen and finally goes up to shower and change around nine. He comes out of the en suite wrapped in Harry’s dressing gown, and he hesitates only briefly before grabbing one of Merlin’s vests from a drawer. “Do ye not have enough clothes of your own?” Eggsy slowly turns to see Merlin leaning against the door, arms crossed over his chest. “I know Harry would be more than happy to take ye shopping.”

“I…I wanted you with me.” Eggsy shrugs and sits on the foot of the bed, unfolding and refolding the vest. “Like my own suit of armor.”

“I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing downstairs, lad.” Merlin comes to sit next to Eggsy. “I wanted to help but…I cocked it up.”

“Nah, you didn’t, not really. I shouldn’t have said what I said about your mum. Not my place.”

“Ye were nae wrong…she did not care about me, and she all but wrote me off the second I became an adult.”

“You and Harry are the best thing that ever happened to me,” Eggsy says softly. “Not only because of the love you give me, but you’ve taught me how to believe in myself, that I’m worth something. You got me a job I love. And you’ve shown me that the things I want…just because other people might think they’re wrong don’t mean they ARE wrong. I’m a better person because of you two.”

“Lad.” Merlin clears his throat a few times. “Dry in here,” he remarks, wiping quickly at his eyes. 

“Yeah…plus I haven’t dusted this week. Must be the dust,” Eggsy says with a tiny smile. “You really stayed home today for me, Merlin? I mean, you took all those days off for me after…”

“It’s good for my staff to get along without me now and then…and it gives me a chance to observe them and find out where they falter,” Merlin says.

“Oh, so it was because of work you stayed home, not because of me?”

“Don’t be daft, Eggsy. Of course I stayed home for you.” Merlin gives him a tender kiss. “But if anyone would ask, this is a training exercise.”

“Of course, Merlin-bot.” Eggsy rubs noses with him.

“Mum. Don’t you look pretty.” Eggsy gives his mother a big hug as soon as she’s through the door. “Love that blouse.”

“It was on sale.” Michelle tugs at the blouse uncertainly. “Was worried the flowers were a bit much.”

“Nah, it’s great. All billowy and stuff…makes you look so skinny!” He kisses her cheek.

“Stop,” she says as she blushes. She takes a good look at him. “Babe…what happened?” She gently touches one of the healing gashes on his cheek.

“I, uh, was mugged,” Eggsy mumbles. “Happened over a week ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Michelle cups his face in her hand and looks him over.

“Because I didn’t want you to worry. I’m fine…Merlin and Harry looked after me.”

“Your landlords shouldn’t be looking after you…your family should,” Michelle snaps.

“Made us a big salad for lunch,” Eggsy says as he leads her to the kitchen. “Haven’t been watching myself like I should…you don’t need it, but I sure do. But this has grilled chicken and apples and grapes in it. Found the recipe online, made the vinaigrette myself.”

“You really enjoy cooking, don’t you,” Michelle says as she looks around the spotless kitchen. “I never did.”

“Yeah, well, you barely had anything to work with, so it really ain’t surprising,” Eggsy says. “Sit down, Mum.” He holds a chair out for her. “Merlin and Harry redid this whole kitchen for me.”

“They redid their kitchen for their tenant?” Michelle blinks. “Wow. They must really like what you make.”

“They do…say I got real talent in the kitchen,” Eggsy says shyly. He tosses the salad and places it in a bowl on the table. “Dig in, Mum, take whatever you want. The recipe called for pecans but I know you don’t like ‘em.”

“I don’t, thank you.” Michelle serves herself as Eggsy pours them each a glass of water.

“Made biscuits for after…you can take some home to Daisy.” Eggsy sits down and smiles at her. “They got pink icing, know she likes that.”

“That she does,” Michelle agrees. “She likes pink everything.”

They make small talk as they eat, Eggsy asking Michelle about her job at the salon and the friends she’s made there. “I’m so proud of you, Mum. You are doing so well, and you seem…happy.”

“I am. I have a good job, I’m healthy, and my children are happy.” She reaches over and squeezes his arm. “Now if I could only find you someone to love, I’d be perfectly content. You deserve the best.”

“About that, Mum.” Eggsy pushes his bowl away and gets up to start tea. “I know you’ve been hoping I’d find someone and all.”

“Yes, because my boy and amazing and he needs to find someone to appreciate that.”

“I think you’re a bit biased,” Eggsy says with a grin over his shoulder. “But thanks.” He sits back down, legs suddenly weak. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. I’ve been seeing someone for a few years now. They’re absolutely wonderful, think I’m amazing, and appreciate so much about me. Make me feel special, like I’m worth something.”

“Oh, babe, that’s great!” Michelle beams at him. “Where did you meet?”

“Well, uh, we work together, but we met before I got the tailor job. Bit of a long story, but yeah.”

“Tell me all about them!” Michelle says enthusiastically.

Eggsy closes his eyes for a brief moment and brings the collar of Merlin’s vest up to rub a bit at his chin. “Older than me by a lot. Don’t matter though, because they don’t act it. Smart, brave, strong, kind…would die for me.”

“Okay, enough of this ‘they’…I need a name!”

“Harry,” Eggsy whispers. “Harry Hart.”

“Harry…” Michelle’s smile fades. “Harry Hart your landlord? Eggsy, he’s married.”

“Yeah, I know, Mum.”

“You’ve been fooling around with a married man? Right under his husband’s nose? Eggsy…I know I wasn’t the best mum ever but I raised you better than that.”

“First of all, Mum, it ain’t fooling around. We love each other,” Eggsy begins carefully. “And Harry ain’t cheating on Merlin, because I…I love him, too. Merlin, I mean. And he loves me.”

“Wait. I’m confused. So you’re dating Harry and you’re dating his…husband?”

“It’s more than dating,” Eggsy tells her. “We’ve been involved in a monogamous relationship for a few years now.”

“It can’t be monogamous if three people are involved.”

“Okay, well, if you’re gonna be picky…we’ve been involved in a closed relationship for years now,” Eggsy corrects himself. “Me, Merlin, and Harry. They’re still married, but I’m involved, too.”

“A threesome.” Michelle all but spits the word out.

“No, Mum,” Eggsy snaps back. He’s trying to control his temper but it’s getting more difficult. “The best word is triad. Threesome means three people having a sexual encounter. Triad means relationship. We all love each other and live together just like two people would, but there’s three of us. They got their own room, which they should cuz they’re married. I got my own room. Occasionally I sleep in their bed with them, but not all the time.”

“Why, because they only want you there for sex and then send you to your own bed?”

“No, because Merlin snores like a damn bear, and he also starfishes all over the bed. He runs hot and sometimes it’s too much,” Eggsy tells her calmly. “They don’t just want me for sex, Mum.”

“You really believe that, don’t you?” Michelle asks with a cold laugh.

“Yeah, I do…but I guess you don’t.” Eggsy’s heart thuds in his chest. “I realize this idea of a three-part relationship is hard to grasp, but you have no problems wrapping your head around the idea of me being an extra piece of arse for them.”

“Oi.”

“It’s true.” Eggsy clenches his hands into fists. “Merlin gave me a place to stay and a job. Realized how hard I could work and what I could do, and gave me opportunities. NOT because I sucked his dick or let him fuck me. That all came AFTER the place to stay and the job,” he adds, just to be a bastard. “They looked out for me, cared for me. They listened to me, they supported me. And then one day we just sorta realized that we’d fallen in love.”

“This is…this is disgusting, Eggsy. You’re telling me that two old blokes don’t get enough from each other, they need to poke about with you? What kind of perverts are they?”

“They ain’t disgusting, Mum,” Eggsy all but hisses. “And they ain’t perverts. If I told them tomorrow that I didn’t want sex with them no more, they’d still love me.”

“I doubt it.”

“They’ve also said more than once that when I feel it’s time to move on, if I want a more traditional relationship with one bloke, they understand. They’ve encouraged it. But I don’t want nothing but them. I’m happy here, can’t you see that? I’ve found not one but TWO men who value me, who think I’m special. They’ve not just redone the kitchen for me…they’ve redone their lives. They gave me JB…I know I told you I found him as a stray, but that wasn’t true. They gave him to me because I always wanted a dog.”

“Kept men and women get trinkets…gifts to keep them around.”

Eggsy slaps the table and she jumps. “I want you to open your mind, close your mouth, and listen to me for one fucking second, Mum.” She mutely nods. “You’ve been going on and on for years about wanting me happy, wanting me to find someone and settle down. I’ve found that. I’ve found someone who cares for me, wants me safe and happy. Someone who looks out for me, who buys me gifts out of the kindness of their heart. I’ve found someone who appreciates the good things about me, and forgives my faults. Someone willing to put up with all the fucking baggage I tote around because of you and Dean.” Michelle draws back as if Eggsy’s slapped her. “Yeah, that’s right. I got a fuckton of emotional problems because of the monster you married…the monster you NEVER stopped, even when he was punching me. You lost the right to comment on my life the day you let him hit me and didn’t say anything. These ‘two old blokes’ know ALL of that and love me anyway. They know I had to peddle my arse on the street to put food on the table, and love me anyway. They know I can’t sit with my back to a room, or handle a loud voice, and love me anyway. I tell you one thing you don’t like and you’re looking at me as if you scraped me off the bottom of your shoe.”

“What do you expect me to think? What do you want me to say…that this is fine? That I’m all right with it?”

“You don’t gotta be all right with it. And I can’t tell you what to think. I just needed to be honest with you finally. You keep saying you want me happy, even after all those years when you knew I was miserable and did nothing about it. Well, now I’m happy, and you have a choice. You can try to think about it and accept it, or you can say goodbye to me. I shouldn’t have to choose between my two families.” A tear slides down Eggsy’s cheek. “But I will, because right now, this family is the one who wants the best for me. I choose them, the men who love me and all but worship the ground I walk on. Not because I’m good at sucking dick…but because I’m me.”

“Babe…” Tears slide down Michelle’s face as well. “I don’t…this is a lot.”

“Yeah, I get that. Been petrified about this conversation for days now. Harry had to go out of the country for work, but Merlin stayed home today just in case I needed him. He’s real important at the shop, but he made it happen just for me.”

“I think I better go.” Michelle stands. “I need to work through all this. I’m sorry I can’t just accept it.”

“I understand,” Eggsy says, and he means it. “You was pretty accepting when I came out to you, but this is so much more. We’ve only told a few people, good friends from work…because we know most people wouldn’t understand it. I appreciate you listening and not disowning me or whatever.”

“You’re my son. My baby. I love you no matter what.” Michelle kisses his cheek but doesn’t hug him.”

“Thanks, Mum. I love you, too.” Eggsy walks her to the door. “Just call me when you’re ready to talk some more.”

“Okay.” She kisses his cheek again.

Eggsy closes the door and wanders back to the kitchen. He looks at the dirty plates on the table but suddenly doesn’t care. He looks at the tub of biscuits and sighs wearily before heading for the office and knocking on the door. “Come in.” As he opens the door he sees Merlin push himself away from the desk. “I heard what ye said, lad. I have a camera in every room of this house.”

“Course you do,” Eggsy manages. “She said you was disgusting…called you perverts. You ain’t…I’m sorry.”

“Quiet, lad…no offense to your mother but her words dinnae wound me. Especially after what you said in our defense.” Merlin gets up, retrieves Eggsy’s cushion from the corner, and drops it on the floor by his chair. “Come, pet.”

Eggsy all but flies across the room and buries his face in Merlin’s leg. “Master.”

“Shh, that’s a good lad.” Merlin strokes his hair with his left hand as he types with his right.

Harry all but falls through the door at three that afternoon. He’d prepared his report on the jet, dropped it off with Merlin’s minions, and tried to get home as quickly as possible without asking the driver to break any laws. He tosses his coat over the railing of the staircase and calls out, “I’m home!” No response. No one in the living room, dining room, or kitchen. He then catches sight of JB sitting in the hallway outside the open office door.

What Harry finds inside makes him smile. He’s reminded of another mission successfully completed, when he’d come home and approached Merlin’s office with no clue as to what he’d find inside. Merlin is at work behind his computers, and their boy is kneeling on the ground next to him, handsome face leaning against Merlin’s leg.

“All right?” Harry asks softly. Eggsy’s eyes open and Harry sees they’re still swollen with tears.

“Nothing we can’t work through.” Merlin gives Eggsy’s hair a gentle tug. “Stand up and stretch, lad, then go greet your Sir.”

Eggsy carefully unfolds himself and stumbles over to Harry. “Harry.” He buries himself in Harry’s embrace. 

“Do you want to talk about it yet?” Eggsy shakes his head. “All right…then why don’t we just sit over here while Merlin finishes working. We’ll go out for a nice dinner tonight, anywhere you like.” Harry leads Eggsy over to the small sofa and cuddles him close.

“Love you…love you both. The best thing that ever happened to me was getting picked up by the filth that day,” Eggsy says into Harry’s neck.

“Yes, my boy.” Harry gently kisses him. “It was the best thing that ever happened to us as well.”

**Author's Note:**

> At least two people have given me a basic prompt idea of Eggsy being kidnapped and Merlin/Harry going on the rampage. I cannot for the life of me remember who that was...but this is dedicated to you!!
> 
> EDIT: These darling people has come forth. Thank you, CelestialAngel2000and Evie_12!


End file.
